MOUNT BERRY, Ga. – For the third time this season, Millsaps and Sewanee took the match to the full five sets. Just like the previous two meetings, the Majors emerged victorious on Friday afternoon in the SAA quarterfinal matchup (23-25, 25-17, 23-25, 25-13, 15-8).
Defense was the focal point for Millsaps going into the match and the team executed on their game plan.
Ashley Zamjahn led the Match with 29 digs, she was joined in double figures by
Meredith Gates who had 20,
Shelby Marsh who had 15.
Presley Stoltzfus tallied 12 to go along with five aces and
Regan Riddle finished with ten digs.
On the offensive side of the net,
Erica Bennett had a match high 16 kills along with three blocks, while Riddle totaled eight kills with five blocks,
Morgan Vincent and
Mckenzi Petricko each finished with seven kills. Marsh tallied a match high 39 assists on the day.
After Sewanee scored the first three points of set one, Millsaps found their feet and both teams traded points until the score was tied at 23. Sewanee then scored the final two points with an ace and a kill to go up a set.
Millsaps was able to break out to an early lead in the second set. With the Majors on top 10-8 they went on an 11-4 run to take a 21-12 lead. Millsaps tied the match after they scored the final points with an ace from
Payton Passantino and kills by Marsh and Riddle.
The Majors looked poised to take the lead in the match during the third set, but it slipped away. Millsaps was hanging on to a 23-18 lead late when Sewanee scored the final seven points to go up two sets to none.
MIllsaps dominated the fourth set. With the Majors ahead 16-11, they made quick work of Sewanee by closing out the set on a 9-2 run to force a decisive fifth set.
MIllsaps edged the Tigers once again in the fifth set, to improve to 3-0 against Sewanee this season. With the score locked at seven, the Majors finished the match by scoring the final eight out of nine points.
With the victory, Millsaps moves on to the SAA Tournament Semifinals to take on number-one seeded and host school Berry College. The match is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. ET.
