JACKSON - Last season, the Millsaps Majors Volleyball Team had one of its best seasons since 2004, finishing with a 21-18 record and placing sixth in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Majors lost seven seniors from that team who had made an impact throughout their playing careers. However, Millsaps comes into 2011 returning key players and welcoming six newcomers to the team that look to take the Majors to the next level.
Jaime Fisher enters her fifth season as Millsaps Head Coach and has high expectations for her team after the success from last season.
“We are always trying to improve on the season before, not just in wins and losses but on what we accomplish when we step on the floor in practice and in games,” says Fisher. “I don't want us focused on the numbers and our wins, our main focus is what we bring each time we come together in practice and in matches. We strive for 100% effort and commitment and believe that if we do this in practice and the weight room the wins will take care of themselves.”
Junior Kasey Laird adds, “This year we hope to obviously win conference but as a team we want to stay mentally tough through every game, we know that there are some teams out there are are bigger but we are confident that if we play mentally tough in these games we will be able to win."
The Majors welcome one lone senior back in Maggie Tumminello. Last season, Tumminello was first on the team in service aces with 50 and second on the team in kills with 358 (2.49 kills per set) while earning Third Team All-SCAC last season.
Millsaps also returns a trio of juniors in Laird, Raven Scott, and Sarah Zito back to the court this season.
Laird, a Third Team All-SCAC selection last season, led the team in kills with 358 (2.51 kills per set). She was also third on the team with service aces with 38.
Scott returns after a successful sophomore seasons where she was fourth on the team in kills with 276 and third on the team with 80 assists.
Zito was sixth on the team in kills with 112. All three girls will be looked at as leaders this season along with Tumminello.
“Maggie as our lone senior won't have to take this role on by herself, she is a great leader and as a senior will be someone I and the team relies on to keep us on track, but the junior class will have a large leadership role as well, leadership is very important on our team.” Burns goes on to add, “We teach leadership strategies and ways to be better leaders and our upperclassmen really take this role seriously, they know a good team will go nowhere without setting the right example and they do this on a daily basis. They know my expectations and help relay this message to the team.”
The Majors also return key players in sophomore Caroline May and Leanne Gilder.
This offseason, the Majors recruited and brought in five freshman and one junior college transfer. They come in this season with high expectations early on.
“We have five new freshmen joining us this season and a junior transfer student, with the loss of seven seniors last year, there are many spaces to fill,” says Tumminello. “Many of these spots are open for the incoming freshman to earn and I believe they have the skill and grit to truly better this team.
Mackenzie Westphal comes to Millsaps from Western Nebraska Community College where she helped lead the Cougars to the NJCAA National Championship. She comes in classified as a junior and is joined by freshmen Christina Tilton, Kelley Calandro, Taylor Zeigler, Caroline McKey, and Payton Mansell.
“The freshmen bring a lot of experience and consistency to the team, most of the have come from very successful high school and club programs so they know what hard work is all about and they bring that fire everyday to the gym,” adds Fisher. “They want to play and be on the floor come game time and they show that each day they come to practice.”
The Majors celebrate their 20th anniversary of play and open things up on September 1st at Tugaloo. The Majors then return home that weekend for the Millsaps Invitational as six teams will travel into Jackson for competition. After a weekend trip to Memphis for the Rhodes Invitational and an away match with Loyola, Millsaps returns home on September 20th to take on Huntingdon. The Majors then spend the next month on the road every weekend for conference divisional play. They welcome in two home games against Belhaven on September 27th and Southern Arkansas on October 11th.
Millsaps finishes their last weekend of the season at home at the Millsaps Tournament. Millsaps will play host to their 20th Anniversary Game that weekend against Howard Payne University on October 28th at 7:30 p.m.
From there, Millsaps will host the 2011 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament on November 4th and 5th.
“This team is very different than last year's team, we are very small this year and therefore defense and intelligence will help us win,” adds Tumminello. “We have many all around players which will help with team chemistry and unity on the court. With heart and determination, this team will have a very successful year.”
