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September 7, 2007
JACKSON
-- Playing
with as many as four freshmen on the court at one time and
thriving off the support of a strong home crowd in the Millsaps
Invitational, the Majors picked up their first win of
the season in a tight 3-1 margin over
Huston-Tillotson
before falling in the nightcap to Mississippi College in a
five-set affair 3-2.
In the tournament opener for Millsaps, 12 different players stepped
on the floor, led by freshman Kate Hall (pictured below) with a season
and career-high 17 kills followed
by
another
career
and
season-high
11
kills from
fellow
frosh Heather Keenan.
Thus far, the duo has provided one of the best
one-two punches in non-conference action, combining for 143 of the
Majors 258 kills (55 percent) through the first six games of the
season.
Huston-Tillotson took Game 1 by a close 30-28 margin
before the Majors rebounded to win three consecutive games by scores
of 30-27, 30-25 and 30-21 to take the match 3-1. It's the first time
all season that Millsaps has won three-straight. 
Sophomore libero Dixie Krauss continued her strong play on the back
line for Millsaps, digging a team-high 14 balls delivered by the
Lady Rams to push her season total to 86.
In the nightcap, Millsaps
(1-5) and cross-town foe Mississippi College (4-3) battled it out
in one of the best
matches
the Majors have played all season.
Nearly eight days removed from the "Backyard Brawl" between the school's
two football teams, the energy and importance of the match was evident
as the crowd support was mixed with cheers on both sides of the court.
After a 1 hour and 50 minute delay from previous games going over
the time frame, the
Majors took the opener 30-27 after a back-and-forth battle saw the
two teams tied at every timeout taken by either coach.
The Choctaws responded with a slim 30-26 win in Game 2 and a convincing
30-19 win in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Just when it looked as if Mississippi College was going to deliver
the match-killer with a quick 8-3 lead in Game 4, Millsaps rallied
behind the home supporters with an 8-1 run en route to scoring
26 of the final 36 points for the 30-23 win.
In only her
second appearance of the year, freshman Victoria Romano sparked
the Majors' run with spectacular play
at the net, picking up an important pair of kills and blocks
at key times along with the solid Krauss en route to forcing
a deciding fifth game.
Another Millsaps freshman, Erica Cook served the final six points
in the win.
In the fifth, the Choctaws held an 8-3 lead when the teams switched
sides, digging every big shot delivered by the Majors who were
trying to stay in the match. MC seniors Katie Perry and Sam Adams
combined for almost every dig, with Adams spiking the game-winning
kill for the 15-6 win.
Millsaps (1-1) will play a pair of games tomorrow to close out
the weekend, facing off with Mary Hardin-Baylor (1-1) at 11:30
a.m. and
LaGrange College (0-2) at 3:30 p.m.
The Majors will then play 18 consecutive games on the road, spanning
over six states, before returning to the Hangar Dome on Oct.
10 to host Rust College at 7 p.m.
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