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October 30, 2007
JACKSON
-- Millsaps
closed out the 2007 regular season with a
four-game split in the Belhaven/Millsaps Invitational this
past weekend, picking up 3-0 wins over Dillard University and
Tennessee Temple
after
3-1 losses to Spring Hill College and Belhaven College.
Freshman
outside hitter Kate Hall paced the Majors’ offense, picking
up 26 kills and eight service aces while senior
Ani Babinski tallied nine blocks and freshman libero Erica
Cook added 43 digs on the defensive side.
In the tournament-opener against Dillard U (W, 30-22, 30-28,
30-26), Millsaps jumped out to an early 9-3 in Game 1 to force
a timeout from
first-year head coach Yolanda Brown before killing a 7-4 Dillard
rally that cut the game to 13-11.
Junior Sarah Exley's kill stretched the margin to 15-10 and
the Lady Blue Devils wouldn't get any closer than that, closing
the gap to 21-13 on a kill from Tyralle Reed midway through
the match prior to a convincing 30-22 win.
The teams traded the first 20 points in Game 2 (one of nine
ties) before Millsaps took its first lead at 11-10 off
freshman
Victoria Romano's
kill. Back-to-back blocks by Alesha Harris for Dillard
U later in the game opened a 22-20 lead for the Lady Blue Devils
which they stretched out to 25-20 to force a Matt Linebarger
timeout.
Millsaps proceeded to rally for 10 of the final 13 points to
earn the come-from-behind win.
The Majors went up 7-3 early in Game 3 to gain the upper hand,
holding off a pair of Dillard U runs midway through the game
to win the match 3-0 and the game 30-26.
Against Spring Hill to wrap up competition on Friday evening,
Millsaps won Game 1 in impressive fashion, 30-18, picking up
10 team kills against just six errors in 29 attempts, before
dropping the final three games by scores of 32-30, 30-23 and
30-25.
Freshman Heather Keenan led the offensive attack with 10 kills
whereas fellow frosh Hailey Miranda totaled 27 assists and
14 digs for her team-leading 13th double-double of the year.
A drubbing of Tennessee Temple (30-15, 30-16, 30-11) on Saturday
morning in just 1 hour and 3 minutes gave the Majors
their 16th win of the season,
picking up 34 team kills and 22 aces en route to hitting a
solid .260 for the match.
Freshman Constance Page recorded four of Millsaps' eight blocks
in the contest while sophomore Sally McCann added six aces
and freshman Mallory Clark added 23 assists.
In the tournament-closer at Rugg Arena on Saturday at 3 p.m.,
the Majors once again got an early 30-22 win in Game 1 before
surrendering the final three 30-18, 30-15 and 30-24.
Millsaps hit just .089 and committed 21 errors as a team.
Hall's nine kills led the way with sophomore Dixie Krauss,
freshman Megan Dufresne and Cook picking up 10, 13 and 18 digs
respectively.
The No. 8 seed in the upcoming SCAC
Tournament in Sherman, Texas, the Majors will face off with No. 9 seed
Oglethorpe at 11:30 a.m. on Friday. The winner advances to
play No. 1 seed Trinity at 4:30 p.m.
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