Volleyball earns first AAC win in five-set comeback at Union

BARBOURSVILLE, Ky. (September 10, 2022) – The Milligan University volleyball team stormed back from a 2-0 deficit to earn its first Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) victory in five sets at Union on Saturday.

The Buffs move to 4-6, 1-1 AAC while Union falls to 5-5, 1-1 AAC.

The Bulldogs took the first two sets with scores of 25-22 and 25-21 go ahead 2-0 to open the match.

Milligan led 16-15 in the fourth set before reeling off four straight points, three coming with Grace Sanderson at the service line. Four of Milligan's last five points came from kills by Ella Maiden, Shelby Miller and Greyson Stevens as the Buffs held off Union to extend the match with a 25-21 set three win.

Milligan notched the first six points of the fourth set. Union battled back to within one, but the Buffs never relinquished their lead. A 7-1 run pushed Milligan's advantage to eight points (18-10). Late in the set, Union trimmed the Milligan advantage to 23-20, but kills by Miller and Maiden closed the set out at 25-21.

The Buffs were the first team to eight points in the fifth set and owned an 8-6 edge the teams switched sides for the final time in the match. Union took leads of 9-8 and 10-9, but Miller's 19th and 20th kills of the afternoon tied the match the following point on both occasions. Consecutive points gave Milligan a 13-11 edge, prompting a Union timeout. Kills by Sarah Grace Larkey and Maiden closed out the comeback as the Buffs triumphed 15-12 to take the match.

Miller racked up a career high 20 kills on a .485 hitting percentage with three service aces. Maiden finished with 10 kills and 10 total blocks. Stevens recorded nine kills and nine digs and Larkey had eight kills. Greene finished with 41 assists, eight digs and three kills. Sanderson had 18 digs and a pair of aces.

The Buffs travel to Montreat for another AAC matchup on Tuesday evening.