MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Oct. 16, 2015) â€" Eight Buffaloes entered into the kill column Friday night in the Milligan College volleyball team's 3-0 (25-11, 25-14, 25-21) victory over Point University.
 
Seven of them had multiple kills, led by senior Emilee Linkous who had 11 and attacked at a rate of .471. Milligan improved its record to 13-10 (8-4 Appalachian Athletic Conference) in its eighth annual Dig for the Cure match and completed the season sweep of the Skyhawks (4-14, 3-12 AAC) after winning in four sets earlier this season.
 
In that meeting, Samantha Bruinius paced the Milligan offense with a career high 17 kills and Jessica Davenport earned 41 assists on the road, but it was more of a balanced effort Friday night inside Steve Lacy Fieldhouse. Behind Linkous' 11 kills, Marissa Langford had six, and Bruinius and Alora Ricker had five apiece.
 
The Buffs started off the match with some fire as Davenport, Bailey Thomas, Linkous, Bruinius and Langford had all registered kills by the time Milligan recorded its first attack error. It was part of a game plan where the Buffs slowly and steadily created some separation before going on a lethal run of 7-0 on Davenport's serve to put the first set away.
 
Davenport had two service aces and assisted on kills by Langford and Linkous during that stretch on the way to 28 assists for the night.
 
The Buffs never trailed in any set and put together similar outcomes to the first set in the second and third. They won the first three points of the second set before jumping out to leads of 10-3, 16-7 and 20-8, ultimately winning on a Point error. In the third set, Milligan held a lead of 7-5 before another 7-0 run, this one on Savannah Benton's serve, all but put the match away.
 
Jenna Headrick, Thomas and Linkous all recorded kills, with assists to Heather Harvey, during that run, and Headrick and Linkous were also part of two assisted blocks.
 
Milligan tallied 39 kills in the match, four service aces, 12 assisted blocks and a solo block by Linkous. Benton and Grace Ann Moorhouse led the defensive effort with 10 digs apiece.
 
Milligan, which has now won its last three home matches, will stay at home for its next five, beginning with AAC member Columbia College on Monday, Oct. 19, at 4 p.m. The Buffaloes will then welcome Bluefield, Reinhardt, and Truett-McConnell the following Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.