The University of Mississippi Athletics
Lady Rebels Face Arkansas State Tuesday In Jonesboro
9/21/2004 | Volleyball
Sept. 21, 2004
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss (7-3) will take to the road on Tuesday for its final non-conference match before jumping into Southeastern Conference play, when the Lady Rebels take on Arkansas State (8-4) at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center in Jonesboro, Ark.
Ole Miss enters the match after posting a pair of wins and claiming second place in the inaugural Rebel Classic over the weekend, with victories over Louisiana-Lafayette and Illinois-Chicago. The Lady Rebels fell to Jacksonville State in the tournament.
Nikki Hill, a junior transfer from Northwest Shoals Community College, emerged as a force for the Rebels over the weekend. The two-time Junior College All-America selection tallied a career-high 24 kills and 12 digs against the Flames of Illinois-Chicago.
Freshman defensive specialist Tara Langley also found her rhythm against the Flames, digging a career-high 20 balls on the way to a Lady Rebel victory.
"We knew it was just a matter of time before Nikki really became comfortable on the floor and showed what she was capable of in a game," said Ole Miss head coach Joe Getzin. "Tara Langley has done a good job for us, coming up with 20 digs against UIC. We maintained our focus and our intensity against them, and that's what we have to do to be successful. We can't take any mental breaks from the game if we want to win."
Senior Elena Garcia is on the verge of making history, becoming the sixth Ole Miss player to break the 1,000 mark for digs and kills in a career. The Austin, Texas, native needs 16 kills and 20 digs to hit the 1,000 mark in each category.
The emergence of two more athletes who can present a defensive and offensive threat for the Lady Rebels will be a benefit as the season continues and the competition stiffens. Tuesday's match should be a good test of that as Ole Miss takes on a solid Arkansas State team.
The Indians are led on the attack by Giedre Tarnauskaite, who has tallied 177 kills on the season through 12 matches. She's assisted by two capable setters in Katie Peil and Tristan Erford, who have come up with 292 and 231 assists, respectively.
Defensively, it's been all Tessa Millikan for the Indians, as she has come up with 163 digs to lead the team.
The Indians are getting it done at the net, as five players have notched 25 blocks or more on the season. Robin Aaron leads the way with 50 blocks to date.
Ole Miss and Arkansas State will take to the floor at 7 p.m.