Sheppard earns 1000th Career Dig in Defeat of Marshall on Senior Night

Friday, November 14

Southern Miss Wellness Center

6 p.m.

Southern Miss

16-11,8-8Sun Belt

Marshall

15-14,7-9Sun Belt

Marshall

Southern Miss.

Sheppard earns 1000th Career Dig in Defeat of Marshall on Senior Night

11/14/2025 9:34:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Libero Sunni Sheppard earned her 1000th career dig Friday evening in the team's win against Marshall in the Wellness Center. The Golden Eagles earned the match in sets of 25-19, 26-24, 25-16, and 25-23 to close out the regular season with Senior Night.

Prior to the match, the team celebrated Brynn Botkin and her accomplishments during her career. The Magnolia, Texas native has made her mark as a serving phenom on the national scale. During the team's two-match series against Arkansas State, she recorded 10 service aces to break the program record for the highest number of aces per match in the rally-scoring era. Her serving numbers have put her in the top 20 nationally for aces per set for five consecutive weeks during the course of the 2025 season.

Beyond the court, Botkin has been involved with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee as well as her studies in Architectural Engineering Technologies. Following graduation in May, Botkin has plans to pursue a career in architecture to then later enroll in a master's program for Architecture.

Southern Miss opened the match with a kill from Botkin and gained early momentum behind strong net play from Maggie Sewell, who recorded a solo block before teaming with Aubrey Judd for another. The Golden Eagles pulled ahead during Morgen Durgens' first turn at the service line, where she assisted kills from Botkin, Judd, Emily Davis, and added one of her own as the lead widened for a 25-19 finish.

Southern Miss stayed tight early in the second set with kills from Botkin, while Elly Stewart and Sewell added kills to keep the Golden Eagles within one through the middle of the frame. Aubrey Judd and Emily Davis each contributed to steady the offense, while Diana Wells provided a spark off the bench with a kill that helped Southern Miss pull even at 17-17 as the set remained tied down the stretch. Davis delivered a key point to make it 24-24, and Sadie McAda followed with a kill to push USM ahead 25-24. Southern Miss couldn't close it out, however, as Marshall took the final two points to claim the set 26-24.

Southern Miss used early kills from Botkin and Sadie McAda to stay even before a serving run from Sunni Sheppard put the Golden Eagles ahead 5-3. Davis and Durgens made an immediate impact off the bench, with Davis and Sewell teaming for a block to extend the lead to 11-7. Southern Miss stayed in control behind steady swings from Sewell and Botkin, and strong blocking from Davis, Sewell and Stewart. Wells closed the set with back-to-back kills, including the winner at 25-16, to give Southern Miss a 2-1 lead in the match.

Southern Miss fought back from an early deficit with kills from Botkin, McAda and Wells to pull even at 13-13. McAda followed with two straight kills to give the Golden Eagles the lead, and Lindsey Smith's ace helped extend it to 20-18. Stewart and Davis added a timely block late, and McAda delivered the swing that brought up set point. Sewell and Davis closed the frame with a block as Southern Miss won the fourth set, 25-23, securing the match 3-1.

Closing out the match, McAda led the team with 15 kills and 15 digs. Gaby Zovko earned 30 assists, while Durgens dished out 22. Defensively, Sheppard earned 10 digs to surpass her 1000th career mark, while Sewell posted four blocks at the net.

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