After winning the first two sets of the night, the Milligan College volleyball team fell to Appalachian Athletic Conference foe Union College in five sets (25-17, 25-20, 14-25, 22-25, 8-15) Thursday evening in Barbourville.
By the numbers
Kellee Geren recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 45 assists and 17 digs. Her three targets of the night were Carley Gregory with 19 kills, and Julie Dockery and Abby Falcone with 10 kills apiece. Dockery had the highest hitting percentage of the night recording a .364. Geren along with Layla Grant who had a match high of 26 digs, and Cameron McConnell who had 13 digs led the defensive efforts for the Buffs.
Overall Milligan outkilled Union with 54 to 49 kills, but suffered more errors than the Bulldogs. Milligan had 35 attacking errors to Union’s 24, and had 10 service errors to Union’s eight.
Set by set
Milligan outkilled Union in both the first and second sets recording 15 kills per set where Union recorded 11 in the first and 7 in the second. Milligan took advantage of Union errors in the first set as Union had seven attack errors. Maddie Jergesen gave Union an early lead recording three kills in the beginning frames of the set, but a kill by Gregory when the score was 7-7 gave Milligan the momentum they needed to take the lead for the rest of the set. Similar story for the Buffs in the second set as they were down for the first half of the set before a kill by Falcone when the score was 13-13 gave Milligan the lead.
The Bulldogs went on a 12-4 run in the third set to defeat Milligan by 11. The set was back and forth up until the score was 8-8 and Milligan errors gave Union the momentum they needed to win. The Buffs had 10 attacking errors in the third set compared to Union’s one.
The Buffs and the Bulldogs had to battle it out until the very end in the fourth set with the score being tied 21-21 before Union took the lead by a Milligan error. The Bulldogs had two service aces in the last five rallies and scored their other two points to win by two Milligan errors. Union outkilled Milligan 12 to eight in the fourth set.
Milligan grabbed the lead early in the fifth set before Union went on an 11 to three run to win the match determining set. Both Milligan and Union had seven kills apiece in the fifth set but errors were the determining factor as Milligan had six and Union only had one.
Up next
Milligan travels to Indiana to play in the IU East Red Wolves Tournament Friday, Sept. 20, and Saturday, Sept. 21. The Buffs are scheduled to play Cincinnati Christian at 2:45 p.m., and Judson at 4:45 p.m. on Friday, and Saint Francis at 9 a.m. and host IU East at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
