SHREVEPORT, La. – The Millsaps women's volleyball team garnered a pair of victories in four matches at the Country Cajun Classic, hosted by Centenary College over the weekend. The Majors fell to Centenary (3-1) and defeated TAMUT (3-1) on Friday, while beating McMurry (3-1) and narrowly losing to Howard Payne (3-2) on Saturday.
 
Junior Anna Capezzera was named to the Country Cajun Classic All-Tournament Team after tallying 69 kills, 50 digs, 10 assists, six blocks and five aces. She tallied three matches of 18 kills – all a new career-high.


Match 1: Centenary 3, Millsaps 1

(20-25, 23-25, 27-25, 24-26)
 
Capezzera posted a double-double with 18 kills, 12 digs and three blocks in the first match. Senior Brenna Macaluso tallied eight kills, 20 digs and three blocks. Sophomore Ally Baer netted 10 kills and three blocks, while classmate Mallory Richardon tallied nine kills. Junior Zoe Elder added 38 assists.
 
Opening the matchup, the Ladies went into a 3-0 lead. The Majors would respond immediately after with a huge kill by Macaluso and Richardson to tie the match at 3-3. The Majors would come back from a four-point margin to tie match again at 15-15 with a Richardson kill. The first set would come down to the wire for both teams, but the Ladies claimed the final four points, taking the first set, 25-20.
 
Set two the Majors struck first with leads of 7-3 and 11-9. Centenary posted a few kills of their own to pull back into the contest with an 18-14 advantage. Millsaps would continue pushing back with a 4-0 and 3-run, but Centenary use three consecutive points to make enough separation and claim set two, 25-23.
 
Millsaps opened set three with an impressive 4-0 and 6-1 edge, but Centenary was resilient to claim the lead at 10-8. The Majors would extend the match with a pair of 4-0 bursts, trailing 25-24 and facing match point. control  jumping into a 17-14 margin. A Capezzera kill, an Elder ace and Baer kill gave Millsaps a 27-25 win in set three.
 
Set four saw the Majors go ahead 7-6 and 13-12 early. immediately Centenary would adjust and rattle off six consecutive points for an 18-14 lead. Trailing 22-18, the Majors recorded a 7-1 rally to lead 24-23. However, Centenary would take the match, 26-24 with the final three points off a pair of kills and an ace.


Match 2: Millsaps 3, Texas A&M-Texarkana 1

(14-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-19)
 
In the second match, Cappezzera recorded 15 kills and seven digs, while Elder added 24 assists and 13 digs. Senior Margaret Richardson registered 15 digs and sister Mallory posted 11 kills.
 
TAMUT started the match strong with a 24-14, set one win.
 
Trailing 4-1 and 6-2 in the second set, Millsaps recalibrated and pushed ahead at 12-9. The Eagles crawled back ahead at 22-21. A Capezzera, Macaluso kill and pair of attack errors helped the Majors tie the match in an exciting set, 25-23.
 
Millsaps clamped down for a 5-1 and 8-2 lead in set two. The Majors closed the set with an 8-1 rally and create breathing room at 23-11. Fighting off six consecutive TAMUT points, a bad set and Elder kill helped give a match advantage at 25-18.
 
In the fourth and decisive set, Millsaps pulled ahead at 17-5. The Eagles would fight back to trail 21-17, by Mallory Richardson would spark the Major victory. Capezzera and Macaluso would also tally the final points in a 25-19 set.


Match 3: Millsaps 3, McMurry 1


(27-25, 23-25, 25-15, 28-26)
 
Millsaps won its second consecutive match of the weekend in a four-set battle with the War Hawks. A trio of Majors would record double-double in the triumph, including Capezzera (18 kills, 15 digs), Macaluso (11 kills, 13 digs) and Elder (44 assists, 10 digs). Margaret Richardson recorded 12 digs and Mallory Richardson posted a career-high 13 kills. A couple of Majors also set a new career-mark for service aces in Elder (six) and sophomore Olivia Danos (four).
 
The War Hawks soared ahead 11-6 and 22-19 in the opening set, but the Majors responded.  Millsaps would close on an 8-3 rally just in time, which was capped off by an Elder and Baer kill each.
 
Set two was a set of runs. McMurry jumped ahead, 9-4 with six consecutive points. Millsaps fought back with six consecutive points. However, the War Hawks used a 4-0 rally to tie the match at 21-21 and closed with three points to tie the match at 25-23.
 
McMurry used a 4-0 burst to tie the third set at 10-10, but the Majors exploded six of the seven points and pull away for a 2-1 match lead, winning set two at 25-15.
 
The War Hawks looked poised to push the contest to a fifth set after leading 5-1, 15-10 and 18-11. However, the Majors surged and eventually tied the set at 23-23 following a Mallory Richardson kill. The teams would trade points back-and-forth with McMurry out front 24-23, 25-24 and 26-25.
 
An attack error and Baer would set up match point for the Majors. Capezzera then found the floor with an ace to give Millsaps the win in a thrilling set four, 28-26.
 
 
Match 4: Howard Payne 3, Millsaps 2

(25-14, 23-25, 25-19, 23-25, 11-15)
 
In the final match of the weekend on Saturday, Capezzera beasted with 18 kills in her third match along with a career-best 16 digs. Macaluso (10 kills, 14 digs) and Elder (23 assists, 16 digs) also posted double-doubles. Mallory Richardson accumulated 12 kills and Margaret Richardson added 19 digs.
 
Millsaps started the match fast, racing ahead 9-3 following Baer and Elder back-to-back kills. The Majors continued its momentum to hold a 20-10 advantage and eventually close on a 5-1 run to win the first set, 25-14.  
 
Set two saw HPU hold a 3-0 lead, but no team would lead more than two points after that. Team would trade blows with the Majors out front, 23-21. A service ace, attack error and two Howard Payne kills would tie the match at 1-1.
 
Set three had the Yellowjackets score the first two points, but a kill by junior Rylee Stephens would contribute to an early 6-4 advantage. The lead would continue to expand to 15-10 and 18-12 for Millsaps. Elder and Capezzera gave Millsaps the lead back in the match at 25-19.
 
In set four, the Yellow Jackets and Majors would play tug-of-war once more. HPU was out front 19-14, but Millsaps wouldn't give in. The Majors would push the game to 21-20 in the Yellow Jackets' favor. A bad set and trio of kills though would force a fifth set.
 
HPU would jump out front, 4-1 in the decisive set, but an Elder ace would pull the Majors within one at 11-10. The Yellow Jackets used three consecutive kills to build enough distance and claim the final set and match, 15-11.
 
The Majors will next travel to the ETBU Classic in Marshall, Texas to face the University of Dallas, Hardin Simmons and University of St. Thomas, Friday and Saturday. Millsaps battles Dallas first, beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday.
 

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