MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Second-ranked Centre volleyball wrapped up regular season conference play with a road tri-match against Rhodes and Millsaps. The Colonels knocked off the host Lynx in straight sets and then repeated the feat against Millsaps to clinch the outright regular season championship in the Southern Athletic Association with a 15-1 mark in conference play and a 25-1 record overall.
Game 1: Centre 3, Rhodes 0
- Centre got off to a great start in the opening set as they scored seven of the first eight points, with
Mack Turner contributing two kills and a block during the opening flurry. A 10-2 run featuring consecutive aces from
Kendra Christopher put it out of reach and Centre cruised to a 25-12 win when Turner put home the clinching kill.
- In the second set, Centre used a 6-0 run to take a 14-5 lead behind the serving of
Mia Casi and strong hitting from
Syd Bietz. Rhodes pulled to within four, but the Colonels responded with six of the next seven to stop the rally and
Elise Grundy had the finishing kill on a 25-16 Centre victory.
- Turner and Christopher kickstarted the Colonels in the third set with two kills each during an opening 7-1 salvo. The Lynx could get no closer than six points the rest of the way as Centre scored five of the last six to secure the win by a score of 25-15, with Bietz connecting on the match-ending kill.
Game 2: Centre 3, Millsaps 0
- Millsaps used an early 8-0 run to grab the lead in the first set. The Colonels slowly chipped away at the deficit and retook the lead at 18-17 before the Majors responded with three straight of their own to go back up by two. Now it was the Colonels' turn to push back and they did, outscoring Millsaps 7-1 the rest of the way as Grundy sealed the 25-21 win with a kill.
- Centre broke a 4-4 tie in the second set with four consecutive points and never trailed again, although Millsaps kept it close the entire way. The Colonels had an answer for every Majors rally and turned them away with a 25-20 victory after Turner's kill provided the final margin.
- The third set featured numerous lead changes and ties as the Majors tried to keep the match alive. With the score tied at 15-15, the Colonels shifted into another gear and blitzed Millsaps the rest of the way, outscoring them 10-1 to win 25-16.
NEXT UP
Centre will have a week off from conference play next week and will head to Atlanta to face a pair of regionally ranked teams in Emory and Washington & Lee.
