JACKSON, Miss. — The Millsaps volleyball team faced a challenging day at the Belhaven Tri-Matches, battling hard in a five-set thriller against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Majors regained their energy and swept Belhaven University in three sets at Charles R. Rugg Arena on Saturday.

Match 1: Mary-Hardin Baylor 3, Millsaps 2 
(22-25, 25-22, 25-15, 13-25, 7-15)

Senior Mallory Richardson led the Majors against Mary Hardin-Baylor with 17 kills on 42 attempts, achieving a .262 hitting percentage.

Classmate Ally Baer matched Richardson with 17 kills and added an ace. junior Sandy Bourgeois contributed defensively with a team-high 20 digs, while freshman Rachel Zamjahn facilitated the offense with a double-double of a season-high of 48 assists while adding 15 digs. 

In the first match against Mary Hardin-Baylor, Millsaps opened the first set with strong defensive play, capitalizing on early errors to take a 4-0 lead. 

Mary Hardin-Baylor would attack the Majors 19-13 on a 10-0 run, a kill by Baer, and a Crusaders attack error would close the gap by four points. However, the Crusaders would continue to build their strength closing out the first set, winning 25-22. 

In the second set, Millsaps attacked the Crusaders on a 13-4 run with Richardson, Senior Trista Naquin, and sophomore Abigail Drury stepping up to their challenge with a pair of kills to give the Majors some excitement on the court.

As the set continued, UMHB would tie the contest to 19-19 with an attack error and a service ace by the Majors. Millsaps staying focused would close out the second set on a 4-1 run with Zamjahn and sophomore Zoë LaCaze, both teaming up for kills with a block by Richardson and Naquin propelling the Majors past the Crusaders, 25-22.

In the third set, Millsaps stuffed the Crusaders on a 10-3 run as Richardson and Baer could not be stopped, giving the Majors an early advantage. Soon, the Crusaders would build off a small 5-0 run to cut their deficit by four points, as the Majors stayed on top, leading 14-11.

Millsaps finishing on a strong note would distract the Crusaders with an 11-4 run to pull down their opponents, 24-15 in the third set. In the fourth set, UMHB took a 7-3 lead, and Millsaps would then take a 3-0 run after a Crusaders substitution. 

The Crusaders would change the atmosphere on the court, led by a firing out a 15-7 run to close out against the Majors 25-13 in the fourth set.

In the fifth set, Millsaps faced a challenging start as the Crusaders took an early 6-0 lead. Despite a late push from the Majors, including points from Richardson and Baer, Mary Hardin-Baylor maintained their momentum to seal the set and the match with a 15-7 victory early on Saturday.

Match 2: Millsaps 3, Belhaven 0
(25-15, 25-19, 25-23)

In the second matchup of the day against Belhaven, Millsaps showcased a dominant performance, recording 44 kills and a .297 hitting percentage, while adding 53 digs to secure a solid defensive front.

Baer led the Majors with 15 kills and a .438 hitting percentage, contributing 16.5 points overall. Zamjahn facilitated the offense with 31 assists, while freshman Madelynn Sasser Sasser added nine kills and Richardson posted eight kills and a solo block.

The Blazers struggled offensively, hitting just .138 with 20 errors. Millsaps also delivered four service aces to Belhaven's six yet maintained control throughout the match to secure the victory.
As the first set progressed, Millsaps maintained control with consistent scoring, including kills from Rachel Zamjahn and LaCaze.

In the first set, Millsaps topped the Blazers on an 8-0 Run after making a substitution change, as Baer and Zamjahn added damage on the court with a pair of kills to help hold the Majors to a 15-5 lead against their opponents. 

Despite a brief rally from Belhaven, the Majors closed the set strongly, with Baer securing the final point to seal a 25-15 win as Millsaps took control of their opponents.

In the second set, Millsaps opened with a powerful performance, leveraging attack errors by Belhaven to quickly gain a 6-2 lead. Sasser was instrumental, contributing multiple kills assisted by Zamjahn and senior Olivia Danos. 

The Blazers managed to close the gap slightly, but Millsaps responded consistently with key kills from Baer and LaCaze, ultimately sealing the set 25-19 with another kill from Sasser.

Millsaps began the third with a back-and-forth effort against the Blazers, leading 23-18.

Richardson continued to play well through out the matchup collecting back-to-back kills to help the Majors finish off the Blazers with a 25-23 set victory on Saturday.


To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps College volleyball program follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook and 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.