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August 10, 2007
JACKSON
-- With
the departure of a pair of key, four-year starters in Colleen Kelly
and Kim Fox to graduation, the Majors return six players from last
year’s squad and welcome the arrival of eight new players to
battle it out in one of the top volleyball conferences in all of
Division III.
Fox’s leadership and Kelly’s athleticism (26-inch vertical) will
be hard to replace, but with the talent of the newcomers, their volleyball background
and their exposure to the high level of play, Millsaps and third-year head coach
Matt Linebarger are expecting nothing less than a 20-win season.
“Last year we went up against four Top 20 teams,” Linebarger said. “We
faced each one of them twice, and I think we know now where we stand and how
big of a gap we are prepared to fill.”
The Majors open the 2007 campaign on the road in Mobile, Ala., with the Spring
Hill College Tournament, facing off with Martin Methodist, Dillard University
and tournament-host Spring Hill College before returning home Sept.7-8 to host
the Millsaps Invitational in the newly air conditioned Hangar Dome. The Majors
face off with Huston-Tillotson, Mississippi College, Mary-Hardin Baylor and LaGrange
College – all familiar opponents from year’s past.
“The Invitational will be a really big test for us,” Linebarger said. “We’re
going up against three, in-region, Division III opponents, so we have to make
our presence felt. Hopefully we can gain some good momentum heading into our
conference-opener in Colorado the following weekend.”
Millsaps posted a 3-1 record in last year’s tournament, dropping Fisk
University and Mississippi College 3-0, falling to East Texas Baptist 0-3 and
then
rebounding
to defeat Huntingdon College.
A member of the NAIA, the Majors host Belhaven in a midweek game on Tuesday,
Sept. 4 before the Invitational. The Blazers advanced all the way to the national
tournament last season.
The Majors will then play a trio of SCAC tournaments on the road in Colorado
Springs, Colo., Conway, Ark., and Memphis, Tenn., mixed in with a non-conference
tournament in Pensacola, Fla., Sept 21-22 and a few midweek home games against
Rust College, Dillard University and Wesley College in mid-October. The road
slate continues with a stop in Greencastle, Ind., before the Millsaps/Belhaven
Invitational Oct. 26-27 concludes the regular season back home in Jackson.
After a slim, 10-man roster last season caused a lack of depth at all positions,
Millsaps will have the luxury of filling those gaps following a strong recruiting
season by Linebarger.
“Setting was one of the positions where Sally was by herself,” Linebarger
said. “With the addition of freshmen Hailey Miranda from Covington, La.,
and academic all-state and academic all-district selection Mallory Clark from
San Antonio, Texas, who was defeated in the finals of the Texas High School
Championships, we will have at least two more to provide depth for her.”
Coached by her father and raised in a volleyball environment her whole life,
Miranda brings a great deal of excitement and a setter mentality to the table
for the Majors. The 5-5 frosh has a very good feel for the game and knows how
to spread the ball around the court and connect with her hitters.
Erica Cook, a newcomer from Gainesville, Fla., who will back
up the vocal Dixie
Krauss at libero, enters the season fresh off a trip to nationals with the Gainesville
Juniors Club. The talented rookie is also the reigning Florida State weightlifting
champion in the 110-pound weight class after benching 160 pounds and clean lifting
150 pounds.
A versatile, Texan volleyball player, Kate Hall will likely
replace Kelly on the outside after being named team MVP her senior year at
Alamo Heights. With
a standing reach of 7’8” and a 9’6” vertical touch, Hall
averaged 5.0 kills, 1.5 blocks, 1.0 digs, 1.0 aces and a 90 percent serve rate
per game. Hall chose Millsaps over St. Mary’s University and SCAC-rivals
Trinity University and Hendrix College.
With the exit of the multitalented sophomore Sam Hill to injuries and concentration
in softball only, the right side will be filled by Heather Keenan who
provides a long reach at the net. “Heather gets her hands on a lot of balls blocking,” Linebarger
said. “Blocking will be a key for her as she is a very flexible outside
hitter.” Keenan turned down offers at Eckerd College and St. Andrew’s
Presbyterian College before committing to Millsaps.
Following a few semesters away from the volleyball court, upperclassman Renee
Mayeaux returns to the hardwood from St. Scholastica Academy in Covington, La.,
to serve as a setter.
Victoria Romano and Megan Dufresne are
expected to come in and work hard after successful high school careers at
Our Lady Academy
and St. Mary’s Dominocon
HS. Romano helped lead OLA to the Class I State Championship as a senior,
earning all-division and all-state tournament recognition. A two-time state
finalist
in the discus and a district champion, Romano also earned varsity letters
in basketball, softball and track during her career. Dufresne played volleyball
four years as a libero, earning a district championship and advancing to
the
state semifinalists at her transition school (St. Michael the Archangel)
under head coach Rob Smith. The duo should push some people to keep their
spots and
compete at a very high level.
Of the six returnees, there are four sophomores, one junior and one senior.
Sophomore
Toni Manley has a year under her belt and is expected to be more matured with
the game and sophomore Dixie Krauss is familiar with the Division III atmosphere
and level of competition in the SCAC and should be able to enter a game and be
very productive.
The lone senior and JC transfer from Seminole State College,
Ani Babinski, made an immediate impact last season and will
be able to give guidance to the incoming players on how to adapt in their
first season. The conference’s
leader in service aces last season, sophomore Sally McCann will likely resume
her role at setter whereas fellow sophomore Amanda Cain has showed much improvement
and will find her way back on the court this year.
Sarah Exley will return to
the Majors after playing in 27 games last year to begin the season before deciding
to concentrate more on her studies.
As a squad, the Majors should show vast improvement from last year’s
13-23 record and 4-14 conference mark by using their depth and familiarity
with the
schedule to post a solid record in and out of SCAC play.
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