JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps women's volleyball team closed out the regular season with a sweep of Belhaven University (25-14, 25-23, 25-22) inside Rugg Arena on Friday.
It was the 13th sweep on the season for Millsaps (22-5, 8-4 SAA) and gives the Majors their most wins since 2012 with postseason matches ahead. Millsaps outdug Belhaven, 54-49 and owned a 41-25 kills advantage.
Junior Ally Baer powered a match-best 13 kills and provided two blocks. Senior Anna Capezzera nearly recorded a double-double in only three sets with 10 kills and nine digs.
Adding to the attack was freshman Abigail Drury, who dished out a career-high 16 assists. Sophomore libero Sandy Bourgeois was a force yet again defensively adding a match -best 22 digs.
Junior Mallory Richardson added six kills and sophomore Amelia Bohl registered four kills.
Belhaven (12-16, 10-6 CCS) fell behind early after Bohl opened the match with a Major kill.
The Majors continued to control the opening set with leads of 5-2 and 8-4. After a 3-0 Blazer rally, Millsaps exploded forward with a 12-2 run.
Teams traded a few points back and forth before junior Trista Naquin recorded a kill and Baer added back-to-back kills for a 24-11 advantage.
Capezzera finished off the first set, giving the Majors a 25-14 win.
Belhaven responded with a 5-1 early edge in the second set. However, the Majors retaliated with a 9-1 run to swing momentum back in their favor.
The second set continued to seesaw and the Blazers battled out front, 20-16 after a 14-6 run.
Kills from Capezzera, Richardson, Baer and Richardson along with a Blazer service error brought the match level at 21-21.
Belhaven used a kill and an attack error to regain the lead, but a pair of Blazer attack errors and another Richardson kill pushed the set to the brink.
Sophomore Caroline Russo then stood back to serve and landed an ace to give Millsaps a 25-23 triumph in set two.
The third set saw Belhaven jumped out ahead, 4-1 but were soon reeled in by the Majors. Millsaps followed with 10-8 and 13-10 positive margins.
Belhaven provided an 8-1 rally to overtake the Majors, 18-14. However, Millsaps continued the theme of fighting back.
Back-to-back Capezzera kills closed a 6-1 run and regained a 20-19 Millsaps lead.
The teams played even splitting the next six points, pushing Millsaps out front at 23-22.
A Belhaven service error and attack error that couldn't find its way push the block gave Millsaps a final, 25-22 sweeping victory.
The Majors now travel to Danville, Ky. to compete for a conference crown in the Southern Athletic Association Volleyball Championship. Millsaps enters as the No. 3 seed and will face No. 6 seed Hendrix in the First Round, beginning at 2 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 15.
Live video, live stats, ticket and tournament information are available on the Millsaps volleyball schedule on gomajors.com.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the volleyball program this year 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.
