Volleyball Picked To Finish Fourth In SEC West

Aug. 14, 2001

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Ole Miss women's volleyball team was picked to finish fourth in the SEC Western Division in a preseason vote by the league's 11 head coaches Tuesday. The Lady Rebels received 22 points in the voting.

Ole Miss is coming off a 15-16 overall record in 2000 and their first trip to the SEC Tournament under the new format (eight teams). They posted a 5-10 record last year in the SEC and finished tied for fifth. With an experienced lineup returning and several talented newcomers, the Lady Rebels are looking to move up in the standings this year.

"Knowing where we were last year, our goal is to move up as many positions as we can in the SEC," Lady Rebel head coach John Blair said. "We want to try and finish in the top four. If we do that then we are in the SEC Tournament, and we put ourselves in a good position to possibly earn a postseason opportunity."

In the West, Arkansas was the top pick with 54 points, while LSU, last year's SEC Tournament runner-up, earned second-place with 44 points. Defending champion Alabama was third with 39 points. Florida was selected to claim the Eastern Division as well as the overall crown.

Points were compiled on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for the Western Division and 5-4-3-2-1 for the Eastern Division. Each coach was not allowed to vote for his or her own team and each coach also voted for one team as an overall conference champion.

Senior Jaime Burns returns at the outside hitter position to lead the Lady Rebels. The leading returner in kills, Burns finished second in kills last year with 419. As a versatile player, the Lady Rebels will look for strong leadership from her at a critical position in the lineup. On the right side, senior Leigh Rittiner returns for her final season ready to step up and lead the team. Rittiner has improved each year netting 225 kills, 77 digs and 109 blocks as a junior last year.

Jade Polonich, and Cheryl Wilson will handle the duties of setter. Polonich earned more playing time late in the season last year and had a solid spring. She recorded 59 assists including 12 vs. East Carolina and Nicholls State last season. Cheryl Wilson transferred from Auburn and has been in the system a year now. She saw action in 25 matches including 64 games last year.

In the middle, Ole Miss returns all three of its middle blockers from a year ago including senior Abby Hollander and junior Erin Newsom, who combined for 228 blocks. Newsom led the team in total blocks with 119 and Hollander tied for second on the team in total blocks with 109. Sarah Lansden is back at the middle position after having shoulder surgery last December.

The Lady Rebels have four newcomers this year and all are expected to contribute. Elena Garcia, a native of Austin, Texas, comes from one of the top high school programs in the state of Texas and her club team, the Austin Juniors, finished third at the USVA Under-18 Open Championships. She, along with Millington, Tenn., native Megan McCune, will help out at the outsider hitter position. Mary Nell Bennett also comes from a highly-successful high school program (Assumption High School) in Louisville, Ky. She will backup Rittiner on the right side. Stacy Spears of Atlanta, Ga., will provide depth at the middle blocker position.

The scoring format for the 2001 season will feature a radical change to collegiate volleyball as a new rally-scoring format will be used. Games will be played to 30 points with a point scored on each play. Previously, games were played to 15 with points scored only on your own serve. The fifth game of the best-of-five format will still be played to 15 points using rally scoring.

Ole Miss opens the 2001 season Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at the James Madison University Days Inn Classic in Harrisonburg, Va. The Lady Rebels first home action will be Sept. 7-8 when they host the Magnolia Invitational.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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