MEMPHIS, Tenn. & CONWAY, Ark. – The Millsaps volleyball team improved to 21-5 on the regular season after sweeping Rhodes at the Mallory Gymnasium on Saturday. The team also bested Hendrix College in a five-set battle inside the Grove Gymnasium on Sunday.
Match 1: Millsaps 3, Rhodes 0
(25-17, 25-20, 25-14)
Millsaps dominated the Lynx to begin the weekend and clinched the No. 3 seed in the SAA tournament bracket.
On Saturday, junior Ally Baer set a career-high nine blocks to go along with 11 kills and four aces. Senior Anna Capezzera finished the afternoon with nine kills, five digs and five blocks.
Classmate Zoe Elder accumulated five kills, 24 assists, three total blocks and four digs. Sophomore Sandy Bourgeois had a solid performance with 17 digs, one ace and one assist.
Junior Olivia Danos finished with seven digs against Rhodes (13-11, 6-6 SAA).
Millsaps (20-5, 7-4 SAA) saw Baer grab the match's first point with an opening kill.
Baer and junior Mallory Richardson would post a block to move the Majors ahead 4-0 moments later.
The Majors would continue their advantage to 11-2 before Rhodes would call a timeout.
A kill by Capezzera would help the Majors move ahead, 14-4.
Moments later, Baer and senior Rylee Stephens would shut down Rhodes with a block to move the team ahead by 11 points.
A kill by Rhodes would cut the first-set deficit down to 22-17 as the team both found their footing.
Following a crucial Rhodes attack error, Baer continued her hot streak with two consecutive kills to carry the Majors out of the first set with a 25-17 victory.
In the second set, the Lynx opened with a 4-1 response. Millsaps quickly recovered with a 4-0 rally courtesy of two Rhodes errors alongside Elder and Richardson kills.
However, the Lynx would grab a block to reclaim their lead and make it 7-4.
Richardson and Baer would tag team with a pair of kills and bookend a 7-0 run to pull Millsaps forward, 12-7.
However, the Lynx would regain their focus off a kill and an attack error to push the margin down to 12-9.
Millsaps would continue to outdo the Lynx as Richardson would swing the ball outside a defender following a kill to keep the team in front, 19-14.
Moments later Elder and Baer would send a message to Rhodes with an impressive block as Millsaps would surface ahead, 20-15.
Leading the second set at 21-17, a Baer and Capezzera block along with a Bear ace pushed the Lynx to the brink.
In the final moment of the second set, Capezzera would hammer a kill outside of a defender's hands to help the Majors escape with a 25-20 win.
Leading into the third set, Millsaps took an early 5-1 run to continue building their momentum.
Millsaps would proceed ahead to an 11-3 margin as Capezzera and Baer both would secure back-to-back kills.
A Rhodes bad set, an attack error and a Capezzera kill further cemented the advantage up to 15-5.
The teams traded points up to 18-12 before a Baer kill sparked a 4-0 run. Baer and Capezzera again teamed up on a block to thwart a Lynx attack.
Naquin and Capezzera would continue the Majors' block party before a Baer ace would give the team a 25-14 triumph in the final set on Saturday afternoon.
Match 2: Millsaps 3, Hendrix 2
(25-21, 25-20, 19-25, 19-25, 15-13)
After sweeping Rhodes on Saturday, the Majors continued to handle business by downing Hendrix in a 3-2 battle on Sunday. The match wrapped up the SAA regular season for the conference.
Elder posted a double-double with 48 assists and 13 digs, while adding four kills and three block assists.
Richardson recorded 15 kills and four digs as Cappezzera accumulated 10 kills and five digs.
Junior Trista Naquin set the tone as well with 12 kills, two assists, a block and a dig. Classmate Baer stood out with 13 kills, two blocks and a pair of digs.
Stephens finished off the Warriors with nine kills and four digs. Additionally, junior Olivia Danos held 11 digs, while sophomore Sandy Bourgeois stopped Hendeix with 27 digs, four assists and add a kill.
Millsaps (21-5, 8-4 SAA) opened the matchup exchanging points with their opponents before Naquin would down the Warriors with a kill to move ahead, 4-2.
Hendrix (8-17, 2-10 SAA) would make an early substitution change before Capezzera would give the Majors their second kill of the matchup.
A Stephens kill would move the Majors forward, 6-4 before the Warriors would summon a 7-2 run to solidify an 11-8 advantage.
A pair of blocks by Baer and Elder later helped the Majors mount a 5-0 run to secure a 13-11 lead.
Hendrix would call a timeout, as Millsaps would further their scoring momentum up to 15-12. The Warriors would catch a break on a 3-0 run to tie the match at 17-17.
A trio of Baer kills helped the Majors pass Hendrix with a crucial 6-2 run to close the set and secure a 25-21 victory.
In the second set, Bourgeois gave the Majors their first kill before the teams traded 3-0 and 4-0 runs with Hendrix leading, 10-7.
The hosts would hold a 15-12 advantage before Richardson would come alive on three consecutive, pivotal kills to help the Majors draw back with a 5-0 rally.
With the second set coming down to the wire, Richardson and Stephens would spark a 7-0 run to take down the Warriors.
Hendrix answered with a 3-0 run, but it was not enough as Baer finished off the host with a kill to clinch the second set, 25-20.
In the third set, Millsaps took an early 5-2 lead and moved ahead 9-5 with an Elder kill.
Hendrix would use three kills and an attack error to tie the third set soon after at 9-9. After a Millsaps timeout, Hendrix would carry a one-point lead.
An 8-0 outburst would soon revamp the matchup for the Warriors as they would soon race ahead, 19-12.
Down by seven, Capezzera and Naquin would try to pull Millsaps back with a pair of kills.
Hendrix though would continue to pull away from the Majors with three consecutive kills and make it a 22-15 contest. they would exceed ahead 22-15.
The Majors soon answered back with an attack error and a Capezzera service ace. Stephens later powered two kills over her opponents before the Warriors managed to escape in the final moments of the set, 25-19.
In the fourth set, Capezzera struck the Warriors with a kill to secure the first point for the Majors. A block by Naquin and Baer made it 2-0 until Hendrix surpassed the Majors on a 6-0 run.
The Warriors would uphold their lead to 15-6 courtesy of a 7-2 run.
Leading 18-13, Hendrix would continue pushing forward with a service error, a kill and an attack error to make it 21-13.
The Majors found a 5-0 run late courtesy of a pair kills from Baer and Stephens to keep the matchup within three points. Hendrix would close out the fourth set on a 4-1 run to take down the Majors, 25-19.
In the final set, Millsaps topped the Warriors early with a 6-2 run as Naquin and Capezzera held the court down with kills.
Millsaps would proceed to hold off the Warriors with a critical 8-1 run to hold its largest lead of the match at 14-5.
Hoping to make a comeback, Hendrix would retaliate with an 8-0 run of its own before Baer found the back-left corner to hold off the Warriors, 15-13.
The Majors will be back in action and face Belhaven University inside the Heidelberg Gymnasium on Friday, Nov. 8. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. with live video and live stats available at gomajors.com.
To keep updated with everything surrounding the Millsaps volleyball program this season follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.
Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
