Women's Volleyball Drops Match to Millikin Big Blue as Muth Eclipses 1000 Career Kills

BLOOMINGTON, IL- The Juniata women's volleyball team began their weekend in Illinois with a 2-3 loss against the Millikin University Big Blue on Friday night.

The Eagles jumped right into the competition in set one. With ties at 2-2, 4-4, and 5-5, neither team held more than a two-point lead early. A 1-4 run came from the Big Blue to put them up 10-14, and they followed that with another 1-4 run, extending their lead to six. The Big Blue lead was its largest at seven, the score reading 15-22. At this point the Eagles made a push to try to surmount a comeback. A 4-0 run brought them within three, but ultimately Millikin took set one, 20-25.

Set two was tight early as well. The first run came from the Eagles, as they had never given up the lead, which was bolstered by a 4-0 run in the middle of the set, taking the score to 13-7. After splitting the next four points, Millikin responded with a 1-4 run of their own, and brought the Juniata lead down to three at 16-13. The rest of the set was even-matched, and the Eagles remarkable kept their lead through it all. They never trailed in the set, winning by the same scoreline which they had lost the first, 25-20. The final point came on an attack error by Millikin.

With the match tied 1-1, the third set would be key to gain an advantage. This time, the first advantage greater than two points didn't come until the Eagles led 15-10 with a 6-1 run following a 9-9 tie. The Eagles advantage was pushed to seven with a 4-0 run just a few points later, and they led 20-13. Two points after that, the Eagles finished out the set on a 5-1 run, 25-15. Elizabeth Cleveland made a service ace on the final point.

Set four was controlled by Millikin early. The Eagles gained their first lead at 10-9 in the midst of a 5-0 run, but the Big Blue quickly regained their lead at 11-12. The game tightened up from there, the Eagles jumping ahead at one point, up 17-15. The teams were tied at 18-18, 19-19, and 20-20 before Millikin won the deciding final points. The Eagles dropped set four 22-25.

In the fifth set, building an early lead is key as there is much less time to comeback. It was the Big Blue who led early in this set, starting it on a 1-7 run. A 3-0 run, started with a Muth kill which gave her 1000 for her career, cut the lead to three for the Eagles at 4-7. Down 6-9, the lead still was three, but Millikin was gaining momentum. Down the stretch, the Big Blue capitalized on their opportunities. The Eagles fell in set five, 8-15.

Audrey Muth led in kills for Juniata with 12 to put her at 1000 career kills exactly, while Molly Mishinkash and Ava Gummer followed with 11 each on the night. Cleveland made 45 assists while Isabella Rushing led with 15 digs.

Now 23-3, the Eagles will gear up for two key ranked matchups tomorrow. First, they will face #3 Wisconsin-Oshkosh University at 11:30 a.m., and later #6 Illinois Wesleyan at 2:30 p.m.