Rebels Take Rivalry Match From Memphis 3-1

OXFORD, Miss. Ole Miss (14-9, 5-7 SEC) dug deep with the match on the line Tuesday, rallying from down three in game four to claim a big win over regional rival Memphis (21-5, 7-3 C-USA) by a score of 3-1 (30-23, 30-28, 26-30, 34-32).

Jaclyn Toohey paced the Rebels on the night with a match-high 21 kills, while Katie Kramer added 17 kills to help take down the Tigers. Lauren Moffett continued to play well at middle blocker, coming up with nine kills and hitting .318 while adding six blocks.

One of the top crowds in Gillom Center history was on hand for the event as 513 people saw the Rebels take down Memphis on Greek Night. Pi Kappa Alpha won the annual competition between fraternities and sororities in attendance as the most spirited group.

“This was a great atmosphere for a volleyball match tonight and I wish more people would come out and enjoy a match like that,” said Ole Miss head coach Joe Getzin. “Memphis is a good team and a contender for the Conference USA title. They came to play and we did a good job of matching their intensity down the stretch.

“We have to win matches like the one we just played if we want to reach our goal of making the post-season,” Getzin said. “We have to take this performance and intensity tonight and try to get some wins on the road in the SEC. We hope to build on this at Kentucky and Tennessee this weekend.”

Ole Miss came out hot in the first game, using four kills from Toohey to pace the balanced Rebel attack that saw six Rebels notch at least two kills on the way to the 30-23 win.

Memphis fought back in game two, but the Rebels were able to hold the advantage as Toohey continued to hammer away at the Tigers with six kills, continuing to pace the Rebels. Ole Miss would take the second game 30-28 and hold a two game advantage at the break.

The Tigers did not go away quietly, battling back in game three with a two-pronged attack from Ashley Liford and Colette Ramirez. The duo combined for 13 kills and no attack errors in the game as Memphis took game three 30-26.

The Rebels responded in the fourth game, fighting off three match points to take a 30-29 lead. The two squads traded blows, but Ole Miss came out on top, taking the fourth game, and the match, with a 34-32 win.

Shelby Burton, Liford and Ramirez led the Tigers with 16 kills each on the night, while Sarah Bury added 13 kills. Christen Clayton came up with 29 digs to lead the Memphis defensive effort.

The Rebels out-blocked the Tigers 10.0-9.0 and tallied 12 service aces to Memphis’ seven on the night.

Ole Miss will now take to the road for a pair of SEC showdowns over the weekend. The Rebels will take on Kentucky at 6 p.m. on Friday before continuing east for a showdown with Tennessee at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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