SHERMAN, Texas – Millsaps opened conference play on the wrong end of a weekend sweep, falling to 25th-ranked Southwestern, 15th-ranked Austin, Colorado College and Rhodes in the first of three SCAC Cross Divisionals at the Mason Complex.

The Majors fought hard in every match and fell within a few set points of coming away with a 2-2 record but unfortunately could not close out matches when they needed to.

After falling to the Lady Pirates 3-0 (25-18, 25-7, 27-25) in the weekend opener, Millsaps battled Colorado College to the wire in four close sets before falling 3-1. Each set was decided by five points or less, with the first one going to the Majors 25-23 and the three final ones going to the other side.

Maggie Tumminello, who has turned in a solid freshman campaign and ranks side-by-side with Kate Hall in kills, had a team-best 13 kills while adding nine total digs.

On Saturday, an upset win over 15th-ranked Austin College in the first set 25-20 gave the Majors life until the 'Roos rebounded to win the following three by comfortable margins. Hall had 16 kills, while senior Toni Manley added eight. Dixie Krauss and Tumminello combined for 44 of the Majors' 78 digs.

The final match of the weekend against Rhodes saw Millsaps take sets two and three to match point before the Lynx rallied off Major errors to win both by 30-28 and 27-25 scores. Sophomore Mallory Clark was one of three Majors with double digit digs and Victoria Romano had five kills, three digs and a pair of assists.

Millsaps will step out of conference play for a weekend, traveling across the street Sept. 26-27 for the Belhaven Invitational. The weekend opens with an 11 a.m. match against NAIA-opponent Dillard University and ends with a third meeting against Belhaven.