Panthers go on the road to Millsaps Invitational
Sept. 6, 2007

The Panther volleyball team travels to Jackson, Miss. for the Millsaps Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The Panthers (1-0) opened their season Tuesday with a 3-0 win over Atlanta Christian at the CEB Gym. The match also marked the head coaching debut of Megan Moore.

Scouting the opponents:
Mary Hardin-Baylor (1 p.m. CST, Friday): The Lady Crusaders went 1-3 at the Wayland Baptist Tournament to open their season. Freshman outside hitter Kyleigh Thurman had 33 kills in the tournament. She had 14 in a loss to SW Assemblies of God. Coach Kecia Davis is in her second year with the Lady Crusaders. The Lady Crusaders were 9-22 overall and 5-12 in the American Southwest Conference. They reached the ASC Championship Tournament for the first time since 1991. This is the first meeting between the two schools.

Mississippi College (3 p.m. CST, Friday): The Lady Choctaws opened their season by going 2-2 at the Oglethorpe Invitational. The Lady Choctaws had four players with 20 or more kills for the tournament. Sophomore outside hitter Kinsey Byrd led the team with 25 kills. Freshman middle blocker Brittany Mitchell had 29 total blocks. Sophomore Ashley Schinzing had 92 assists. Peter Cosmiano is in his third season at Mississippi College. The Lady Choctaws were 8-23 overall and 4-12 in the American Southwest Conference. This is the second meeting between the two schools. The Panthers won 3-0 in 2000.

East Texas Baptist (9:30 a.m. CST, Saturday): The Lady Tigers come into the tournament 2-3 after losing their home opener Tuesday to NCAA Division II Southern Arkansas by a 3-1 score. Jane Hays led the Lady Tigers with 20 kills. The Lady Tigers had opened the season by going 2-2 in the Gilbert Memorial Volleyball Tournament at the University of Texas-Dallas last weekend. Lyndsay Mashe is in her second season at East Texas Baptist. She guided the Lady Tigers to a share of the American Southwest Conference East Division championship. The Lady Tigers were 19-12 overall and 15-2 in the ASC. This is the first meeting between the two schools.

Millsaps (3:30 p.m. CST, Saturday): The host Lady Majors are 0-4 after a 3-1 home loss to cross-town NAIA rival Belhaven on Tuesday.  Freshman outside hitter Kate Hall had 39 kills going into the Belhaven match. Matt Linebarger is in his third year at Millsaps. The Lady Majors were 13-23 last season, including a 4-14 record in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. The two schools have split six prior meetings, with Millsaps having won the last three matches. The two schools last played in 2004, with the Lady Majors winning 3-0.

The tournament starts a stretch of 11 straight matches on the road for the Panthers. They do not play another home match until Sept. 28 against Brenau University.