Bays Releases 2024 Milligan Volleyball Schedule
MILLIGAN, Tenn. – The Milligan University volleyball program, led by head coach Doneva Bays, has released their schedule for the 2024 campaign. Playing in two early-season tournaments, including the 17th-annual Milligan Mountain Madness, the squad boasts a diverse non-conference slate prior to Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) action.
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Season number 17 of the Bays era begins on August 23-24, when the Buffs host Milligan Mountain Madness inside Steve Lacy Fieldhouse. The annual tournament consists of 16 total matches, with the eight attending teams participating in four apiece. Milligan will begin their home tourney by battling the Point University (Ga.) Skyhawks at 2:30 p.m. on August 23, before squaring off with Blue Mountain Christian University (Miss.) Toppers in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m. The following day will include matchups with the University of Rio Grande (Ohio) RedStorm at 11 a.m. and against the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) Patriots at 2:30 p.m.
Tourney number two of the campaign will be the Labor Day Classic, hosted by Florida College in Temple Terrace. Milligan's opener of the event will be against the Warner University (Fla.) Royals and will be played at 11 a.m. on August 30. The follow-up to that battle will be against the Doane University (Neb.) Tigers at 1 p.m. On day two, August 31, the Buffs face the Trinity College of Florida Tigers at 5 p.m. and the hosting Falcons at 7 p.m.
The AAC campaign begins road-heavy, as seven of the first nine conference contests will take place away from Lacy Fieldhouse. The string starts against Bluefield University (Va.) (September 12, 6:30 p.m.), Union Commonwealth University (Ky.) (September 14, 11 a.m.) and the University of Pikeville (Ky.) (September 17, 6:30 p.m.).
Milligan's AAC home-opener against St. Andrews University (N.C.) will take place on September 21 at 11 a.m. That day, the Buffs will also play a non-conference match as part of a triangular event against NCAA Division II Lees-McRae University (N.C.) at 3 p.m. Additionally, the two North Carolina-based schools will clash at 1 p.m.
A pair of road matches close out the month of September, as the Buffaloes will take trips to Tennessee Wesleyan University on September 24 and Johnson University (Tenn.) on September 28. Those matches will be played at 6:30 p.m. and 11 a.m., respectively.
October starts with the second home match of the conference season, as Milligan will play host to Bryan College (Tenn.) on October 1 at 6:30 p.m. That precludes a duo of travel tilts in Columbia, S.C. The first of the two will be a tussle with Columbia International University on October 4 at 6:30 p.m., while Columbia College waits to face the Buffs on October 5 at 11 a.m.
The first stretch of consecutive home matches in AAC play will follow, as Kentucky Christian University (October 8, 6:30 p.m.), Union Commonwealth (October 11, 6:30 p.m.) and Johnson (October 12, 11 a.m.) come to Milligan. Trips to Bryan (October 15, 6:30 p.m.), Brenau University (Ga.) (October 18, 6:30 p.m.) and Montreat College (N.C.) (October 19, 11 a.m.) will follow the three-match homestand.
Then, the Milligan faithful will welcome the Buffs back home for a pair of midweek tilts with Bluefield on October 22 at 6:30 p.m. and Pikeville on October 24 at 6:30 p.m. To close out October, the Buffs travel to Greyson, Ky. to face Kentucky Christian on October 29 at 6:30 p.m.
Three straight home matches to close the regular season in the month of November is a welcome sight, as Reinhardt University (Ga.) (November 1, 6:30 p.m.), Truett-McConnell University (Ga.) (November 2, 11 a.m.) and Tennessee Wesleyan (November 5, 6:30 p.m.) head to East Tennessee to finish off the regular-season slate.
Championship season officially begins at the AAC Tournament, held at MeadowView Marriott Convention Center & Conference Resort in Kingsport, Tenn. The tournament will occur from November 14-16. The top 10 teams during the regular season in the AAC will participate in postseason competition. Matches between No. 7 and No. 10, as well as No. 8 and No. 9 will happen on day one, while the winners of those battles will move on to play the tourney's top two seeds on day two. No. 3 will face No. 6, and No. 4 will tussle with No. 5 to come up with the semifinalists. Two semifinals and the subsequent championship tilt will occur on day three.
The NAIA National Tournament will start play the following weekend at various campus sites across the nation, with the top 24 teams in the NAIA hosting the Opening Round at their home sites on November 23. The winners of each Opening Round site will advance to the NAIA Championship Final Site, at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, for pool play matchups. Those battles will stretch from December 4-10 and conclude with a national champion being crowned.