MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (August 29, 2014) â€" Strong gameplay on both sides of the court led the Milligan College women's volleyball team to victory in its opening matches of the Mountain Madness Tournament.
 
Milligan won both matches of the day 3-1, beating Tennessee Wesleyan College and Trinity International University.
 
"I think we came out with a lot of energy," Head Coach Doneva Bays, "and I'm excited for the presence that we gave for our home court. However, I feel like we are still inconsistent in areas but pleased with our first home showing."
 
Tennessee Wesleyan proved to be a formidable opponent for the Buffs in the first match of the day, but they could not overcome the scoring power of Emilee Linkous, Savannah Benton, Bailey Thomas and Marissa Langford. Each recorded nine kills with Benton scoring on every attack she made.
 
The Bulldogs fell in the first set 25-19, but after several kills by Hayli Raines in set two, they were able to seal the victory, 28-26.
 
This would not be enough to stop the Buffs though, as they overcame the Bulldogs in the next two sets 25-20 and 25-22 respectively to record the win.
 
Milligan's defense would prove to be its strength in the second match of the day against Trinity International University. Though evenly matched overall, the Trojans were unable to overcome the stone wall defense of Samantha Bruinius, Benton and Charlie Bateman, who recorded two blocks apiece.
 
The first two sets ended in victory for the Buffs, 25-17 and 25-20, respectively.
 
However, the Trojans would battle back in the third set, taking an early 6-0 lead and sending a strong message with a 25-16 win.
 
This would not be enough to shake the Buffs though, and they would take the fourth set 25-19. Linkous sent a strong message of her own with the final kill, clinching the victory for the Buffs.
 
"We are still fighting through some minor injuries and with it being at the start of the season, we are trying to find a solid starting lineup," Bays said. "Our game strategy was to get people game experience and see how they performed."
 
Milligan will follow up with day two of the Mountain Madness tournament at 10 a.m. tomorrow against Hannibal-Lagrange University and at 2 p.m. against Asbury University.