Rebels Open Season At Panther Invitational On Friday

OXFORD, Miss. The Ole Miss volleyball team begins it quest for a third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance on Friday with a pair of matches at the Panther Invitational hosted by the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Ole Miss will take the floor at 1:30 p.m. on Friday to face the hosting Panthers in the first match of the season. The Rebels will then play a second match at 5 p.m. against Illinois State. The tournament will conclude with a match against Iowa State at noon on Saturday.

"UW-Milwaukee is a perennial NCAA Tournament team, and playing at their place to open a season is always going to be a big challenge for us," said Ole Miss head coach Joe Getzin. "We also face Iowa State, who has always been in the upper half of the Big 12 since their coaching change. Playing them will give us an SEC type team physically early in the season. Illinois State went to the tournament last year. That's a great opening tournament, and is probably the toughest opening tournament that we have ever participated in top to bottom."

The Rebels are coming off a 25-8 season, a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and were picked to finish second in the SEC West in the preseason coaches poll earlier this week. To do that, Ole Miss will be relying on a trio of seniors to lead the way.

Expected to be a driving force behind the Rebels' success this season is setter and preseason All-SEC selection Rachel Kieckhaefer. The senior is closing in on 3,000 assists for her career and posted four triple-doubles a year ago as she earned All-SEC second team honors and AVCA All-South Region honorable mention honors.

Also expected to shoulder a large role is Emily Jones, who will be making the shift from middle blocker to outside hitter for the 2008 campaign. Jones posted more than 100 blocks a year ago, but will be looked to for more attacks this season as she transitions to the outside position.

Also returning is senior defensive specialist Allison Weber. Weber will be looked upon to help fill the shoes left by departed libero Tara Langley, who set the school single-season and career records for digs a year ago. Weber has been a steady contributor on the back row and looks to expand her role as the season begins on Friday.

UW-Milwaukee enters the 2008 season coming off a 26-3 season a year ago that saw the Panthers finish 15-1 and first in the Horizon League. The program missed out on the NCAA Tournament, however, by not winning the conference tournament to claim the automatic berth into the annual event.

Illinois State enters the weekend after going 21-12 in 2007 with an 11-7 record in the Missouri Valley Conference as the Redbirds finished fifth in the league and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Illinois State returns six starters from last year's squad and is picked to finish fifth in the league again in 2008.

Iowa State comes into the tournament having posted a 19-14 record a year ago while finishing fifth in the Big 12 with a record of 11-9 in league play. The Cyclones defeated the SEC's LSU last season and return four starters in addition to the libero from last year's squad. Iowa State is picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 in 2008.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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