MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Sept. 8, 2018) – The Truett McConnell University women's volleyball team traveled to Appalachian Athletic Conference foe Milligan College on Saturday for a tri-match against Milligan and Hiwassee College. The Lady Bears went to five games with the Buffaloes but ultimately fell (2-3) but turned around to sweep Hiwassee College (3-0).
MILLIGAN (19-25, 25-18, 25-22, 22-25, 8-15)
TMU earned the first three points of the set and both teams went on to trade the lead back and forth. Despite a 5-0 run by the Lady Bears, the Buffs used a couple of 3-0 runs and a 4-0 run to take the first set (25-19). Truett came back out in the second set ready to battle using a 3-0 and 4-0 run themselves to gain the momentum. Milligan was unable to recover as the Lady Bears went on to win the first set of the match on a Bethany Ross kill (25-18).
With a tied game at 11-11, TMU pushed to get out front and it was only up from there. The Lady Bears took game three on another Ross kill (25-22). The Lady Bears compiled a total of 11 kills in comparison to the Buffs' nine.
Milligan rallied in the fourth set using a 6-0 run at 9-9 to put the game out of reach for TMU. The Buffs tied up the match with their fourth set victory (2-2). Milligan carried over the momentum into the fifth set winning the first four points of the set and claim the AAC victory over TMU.
LEADERS
For the third straight match, Shayla Smith led TMU in the kills category with 14. Ross followed with 12 and Jordan Henshaw added nine. Hannah Lee led with 22 digs, Abby Mumpower followed with 18 and Abby Maxwell had 10. Maxwell compiled a total of 38 assists. Smith also led with four single blocks and Olivia Beasley compiled four block assists and Madison Curtis had three.
HIWASSEE (27-25, 25-12, 25-19)
Game one was the closest set of the match. TMU trailed the entire game but the Lady Bears battled back at 24 apiece and took the game using a duo block by Heaven Walker and Smith. TMU went on to dominate in the second set leading by as much as 12 points after a 12-0 run.
The Lady Bears did not trail for one volley in the third game. Smith got TMU started out on the right foot claiming the first two points of the set on two kills. As a matter of fact, all first four points scored by the Lady Bears were all Smith kills. TMU led by as much as nine in the third game and took point 25 on Smith's kill out of the hands of Maxwell to fasten their second sweep of the season.
LEADERS
Smith led with 14 kills and freshman Taylor Roland added five. Curtis led in the blocking column with four assists and one single block. Henshaw and Walker also had three block assists apiece. Maxwell tallied 20 assists and Lee had 12 digs.
UP NEXT
The Lady Bears are on the road for another AAC matchup at Bluefield College on Tuesday, Sept. 11, at 6:30 p.m. TMU will return home for two more AAC matches on Friday, Sept. 14, and Saturday, Sept. 15. The Lady Bears will face St. Andrews University on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and will face Columbia International University on Saturday at 1 p.m.
