JACKSON – In a 2 hour and 4 minute marathon in the Hangar Dome Tuesday evening, the visiting Loyola Wolfpack outlasted host Millsaps in a thrilling match, 3-2.
In a rematch from three weeks ago in New Orleans in which Loyola won 3-1, the Majors fought as hard as they possibly could and had their chances to win it late before the 'Pack closed it out in the fifth and final set.
In the opening set, Millsaps (9-12) darted out to a 7-2 lead behind two big blocks from sophomore Victoria Romano to force head coach Tommy Harold to burn his first timeout.
Out of the break, Loyola (8-1) drew the set even at 10-10 and took its first lead at 11-10 before sophomore Kate Hall delivered a huge kill three points later to tie it at 13-13. The 'Pack would go on to win the set 25-21 to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
Down 2-1 in the second set, Millsaps scored six of the next seven points to go up 7-3 before Loyola rallied again to take the lead at 10-9. A 5-minute rally the ensuing point ended with a Maggie Tumminello kill as the Majors brought the set all square at 10-10.
Tumminello's kill seemed to shift the momentum in the set behind a rowdy home crowd, and with Millsaps clinging to a 17-16 lead, Hall caught fire and contributed five of the final eight points for the Majors in a 25-19 win.
The largest lead for either team in the third set was Millsaps by five at 17-12 until the 'Pack tied it at 20-20. The Majors dug deep and finished off the set 25-22 to take a 2-1 lead.
Millsaps had its chances to win it in the fourth set in one that fluctuated back-and-forth through the first 30 points and saw neither team lead by more than four (Loyola 18-14). Romano re-entered late for the Majors down four and immediately contributed with a block at the net to eventually help Millsaps pull it to within one at 18-17.
The next 20 minutes decided the match, with the set tied from 21 through 27 and the Majors unable to close it out. Loyola earned a 29-27 win to force a deciding fifth set.
"Loyola sent it over to us and let us make the errors and that's exactly what we did," head coach Jaime Burns said. "We were too hesitant and not aggressive enough."
In the final set, the Majors scored first and took a 2-0 lead before two receiving errors and a trio of Wolfpack kills gave the visitors a 5-3 lead. Senior Toni Manley's block brought Millsaps back on top 6-5 and when the teams switched sides Loyola led 8-6.
A three point lead for Loyola at 9-6 was the largest in the set and Millsaps rallied to tie it at 12-12 before surrendering the final three points for a 3-2 Loyola win.
Offensively, Hall led the way with 14 kills and Tumminello added seven, while Dixie Krauss had 31 digs, Erica Cook had 15 digs and Manley had eight block assists.
"Dixie played awesome defense and hitting wise, Kate did her job and was effective for us," Burns said. "We'll have a tough week of practice and I hope it brings out some drive and desire out of the team to work harder and get better heading into the weekend."
Millsaps will host its first and last SCAC Divisional Tournament on Oct. 4 and 5, playing conference foes Sewanee, DePauw, Oglethorpe and Hendrix College.
