The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Arkansas-Little Rock
Rebels Down UALR 3-1 To Avenge Early Season Loss
9/20/2002 | Volleyball
Sept. 20, 2002
Box Score
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Ole Miss entered Friday night's match at Arkansas-Little Rock looking to avenge an early season loss to the Trojans (4-6) in the Baylor Classic. The Rebels (5-5) gained that revenge, defeating UALR 3-1 (17-30, 33-31, 30-27, 30-28).
The play of sophomore Elena Garcia sparked the team on the night and kept the Rebels in the match for its entirety. Garcia posted 20 kills on the night with only four attack errors for a.421 average. The Austin, Texas, native also recorded five defensive digs on the night.
"Elena Garcia stepped up to the plate in a big way tonight," said Ole Miss head coach Joe Getzin. "I think the numbers speak for themselves as to how well she played, whether it was on the front-line or the back row. She got it done for us tonight."
Ole Miss got behind the Trojans early, as UALR attacked the visiting Rebels with precision, keeping the Ole Miss offense out of sync to start the match and jump to a 14-5 lead. The Rebels were never able to really recover from the UALR onslaught, dropping the first game 30-17.
The Rebels responded to the challenge laid down by the Trojans in the first game and fought for every point, with the two teams trading points for the early lead. UALR inched out to a slim lead, 11-4. The Trojans held a steady four-point lead on Ole Miss, but a cross-court kill by Megan McCune sparked a run by the Rebels, who tied the game at 19 and pushed out to a narrow lead. The nip-and-tuck battle finally fell the way of the Rebels 33-31 to tie the match.
Game three saw a reversal of roles as Ole Miss pressed hard early to dictate the tempo of the match and fought out to a slim lead behind a more solid all-around effort. Solid sets from Jade Polonich, commanding blocking at the net by middle blockers and powerful attacks from the Rebel hitters wore away at the Trojan resolve to allow Ole Miss to pull out to a 19-13 lead. UALR recovered and scratched its way back into the match, knotting the game at 22. The Rebels retained control of the match, taking the third game 30-27.
Ole Miss came out in control of the first game, but UALR regained its composure quickly, jumping back in the game and tying the game at nine before the Rebels responded and pulled away again. The lead was short lived, however, as the Trojans once again fought back to take a 15-14 lead. The two teams would battle it out until the end, trading leads and points, with the Rebels gaining the lead at 28-27. Ole Miss would hold on to win the game 30-28 and take the match 3-1.
Getzin said the play of the team really impressed him, with the poise and determination exhibited by the squad.
"It was a great win for our team today and hopefully shows a lot of maturity on their part," Getzin said. "They could have easily given up and folded on the road, but it was neat to watch them come together and show that heart. It was a great win."
The Rebels hope to continue to play well as they close out the season opening road swing at Arkansas State on Tuesday. It will be the final road game for Ole Miss before returning home to open up Southeastern Conference play against Florida on Sept. 27 at the Gillom Sports Complex.
