Freshmen Look To Lead Rebels At Alabama, In Future

by: Alex Cox
Ole Miss Athletics Media Relations Assistant

OXFORD, Miss. - While adjusting to the pace of SEC volleyball, the Rebel Volleyball freshman class has already experienced their share of ups and downs this season, but they say it has made them grow stronger as a team.

"There's been rough and fun times this season and it's nice having a big group because someone always feels the same way you do," freshman setter Marielle Oestermeyer said. "You can always talk to someone different about things, and it's really nice to get to know new girls. As a freshman class, we're very, very close."

They hope to see more good times than bad down the stretch as Ole Miss makes a final push of five matches down the stretch, beginning this weekend at Alabama and Mississippi State. The Rebels will face Alabama on Friday night at 7 p.m. before taking on the Bulldogs at 1:30 p.m.

Six players are freshmen on the Rebel volleyball team, including Ashley Anderson, Whitney Craven, Courtney Cunningham, Marielle Oestermeyer, Ashley Veach and Allegra Wells.

All of the freshmen have seen playing time this season.

"It's a lot different," freshman defensive specialist Ashley Veach said. "It's faster paced and more intimidating because of that. We have to work a lot harder at it because a lot of our freshman are playing so we have to be in shape."

Outside hitter Whitney Craven is one of the six who has been playing a large role on the team, adding a team high 15 kills against LSU last Friday.

"I feel like there's not really a game that I can afford to take off. You go against girls that are as good as you or better," she said. "In high school, there were teams that you knew you were going to beat, and you can't do that here."

Although the transition was difficult for many of the players at the beginning of the semester, some things have gotten much easier for them as the season has progressed.

"It was hard adjusting to the speed and to the tempo of the sets," Courtney Cunningham said. "The college tempo is so much faster than in high school, when everything is so laid back. Here, everything is on the go. Either you have it or you don't."

"At the beginning of the season, it was terrifying," Oestermeyer said. "I was so nervous, and I was still meeting the girls and figuring out how college worked. Now, I don't get nervous at all. I think training and knowing how my team plays helps. I don't think about it any more, really."

Some players have seen more playing time than they expected coming into the season, especially right-side hitter Allegra Wells.

"I was prepared to be redshirted, but then the coach told me I wasn't going to be redshirted anymore right after the tournament in Missouri," she said. "So the next home tournament, I played and I was nervous, but I did it."

The young players said having five other girls to bond with has also helped them to adjust to the different style of play.

"You're always around the girls, you're always with them," Ashley Anderson said. "In high school, you get to go home and be away from your teammates, but we're always together. It's good and bad, but we kind of turned into sisters. I think it's made it a lot easier because we've got people to relate to. We all got to go through it together and know that there's five other girls going through the same thing."

Although the team has been working hard at meeting the needs of their teammates, the Rebels' record is only 8-17, 2-13 in the SEC.

"It's a hard process when you're not winning because you've got to come in here every day and keep working at it," Allegra Wells said.

All six of them have high hopes for the rest of the season, however.

"I'm hoping for us to win out our last five games because it's definitely possible and we can regain our confidence for next season," Veach said.

Cunningham, who said she has been trying to have fun while playing in the last few matches, said she will try to keep the same attitude in the upcoming matches. She hit .300 against LSU last Friday, with nine kills and two blocks.

"I'm hoping that I'm just going to keep the same mentality and keep my team up," she said. "We can play together for the last few matches that we have and come up with victories."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

Related News

Related Videos