Jackson, Miss. – The Centenary volleyball team opened play in the Millsaps Volleyball Invitational on Friday evening with a clean sweep of the host Majors, 3-0, in a non-conference contest at the Hangar Dome.
The Ladies (3-3) won their third-straight match after going winless last weekend in the Mary Hardin-Baylor Tournament in Belton, Texas. Centenary defeated the Texas A&M University-Texarkana Eagles at home on Tuesday, 3-1, in its home opener and then recorded a 3-1 win at Tougaloo College on Thursday. Millsaps fell to 3-3 with the loss.
The Ladies will play two more matches on Saturday as they face Concordia (Texas) at 1 p.m. and then complete the tournament with a match versus Belhaven University at 5 p.m. Live video of Saturday's matches is available here: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/millsaps/
The Ladies won the first set 25-22 and then took set two, 25-20. They then clinched the match in a thrilling third set, outlasting the Majors 30-28. Centenary finished the match with 58 digs, 35 kills, and eight aces. Senior DS/L Jaycie Proctor (Paris, Texas) led the Ladies in digs with 17 while freshman S Meadow Smith (Mansfield, Texas) and sophomore OH/DS Kiara Liedy (Sugar Land, Texas) each totaled 11 digs and Smith posted a team-best 28 assists.
Senior MB Caroline Richmond (Marquez, Texas) finished the night with eight kills, a pair of block assists and one solo block. Senior MB Liz Lowe (San Antonio, Texas) had seven kills, two digs, a pair of aces, and a block assist. Sophomore RS Jaylin St. Martin (New Orleans, La.) added eight kills and six digs, and junior MB/OH Robin Lemelle (Liberty, Texas) tallied six digs and two aces. Freshman MB Susi Curtis (Haslet, Texas) had three kills, an assist, and a dig. Sophomore MB Elizabeth Canady (League City, Texas) had six kills and four digs.
The Ladies raced out to a 12-7 lead in the first set en route to the 25-22 win. The score was tied three times but Centenary never trailed. The Maroon and White started fast in the second set, taking a 6-0 lead, on way to the 21-15 win. The third and final set was a back and forth affair which saw Millsaps hold a 24-23 lead with a chance to clinch and send the match to a fourth set. But, a clutch kill by St. Martin from Proctor tied it at 24-24.
The Ladies went up 25-24 but Millsaps tied it and after the Ladies regained the lead at 26-25, the Majors scored the next two point to take a 27-26 lead. Once again Millsaps had a chance to win the set, but the Ladies would not be denied and scored two-straight to take a 28-27 lead. Millsaps tied it one last time at 28-28, but a kill by Richmond from Smith sealed the win, 30-28.
See the complete Ladies' schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/wvball/2022-23/schedule
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