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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
18-6, 4-5
Kentucky
15-6, 8-1
Rebels Fall to No. 21 Kentucky
10/25/2015 | Volleyball
OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss volleyball had a great crowd (815) for Dad and Daughter Day at the Gillom Sports Center Sunday, but the Rebels ran up against the top team in the Southeastern Conference, No. 21 Kentucky, and dropped a 3-0 (20-25, 18-25, 23-25) decision.
With the loss, the Rebels are now 18-6 overall and 4-5 in the SEC with a road trip coming up at Georgia Wednesday. Kentucky improved to 15-6 and 8-1 in league play.
The Rebels came out and battled the Wildcats to a 15-15 tie in the first set, but then Kentucky went on a 10-5 run to close out the first set 25-20. Ole Miss fell behind 10-5 early in the second set, and couldn't mount a comeback, falling 25-18, as the Wildcats went into intermission up 2-0.
After the break, the Rebels came out and tried to extend the match, as the two teams traded points early. Kentucky led 10-7, but after an Ole Miss timeout, the Rebels went on a 5-1 run to go up 12-11. Late in the set, the Rebels gained a 23-21 lead, but Kentucky closed on a four-point run to seal the match.
Quick Hits
• The Rebels are 0-5 now when hitting below .200, finishing at .117 for the match.
• Sophomore Lexi Thompson posted double-digit kills for the fifth straight match, finishing with 10 kills.
• Senior Nakeyta Clair had three blocks total, including two block assists to bring her closer to the school record in block assists. At 302, she needs two to break the record.
• Freshman Alexis Lee saw her first action since the Mississippi State match, and had three service aces and four digs.
Quoting Head Coach Steven McRoberts
"I told the team at the break, that we just need to take advantage of the opportunities we had on the court. In set one, we let a lot of opportunities go to waste. It was disappointing that Kentucky ended the set on a 10-5 run and then we just came out flat in the second set, never got anything going. They controlled the momentum. We came out and played a lot better in the third set, no big runs until the end. We are disappointed that we led 23-21 and gave up the four-point run to end the match. There is a reason why Kentucky is No. 1 in the conference, because they do things like that."
Ole Miss will face Georgia for the second time this year on Wednesday in Athens. The Rebels defeated the Bulldogs 3-0 earlier this month in Oxford. The match will be televised on ESPNU at 8 p.m. CT.
For more information on Ole Miss Volleyball, follow the Rebels on Twitter, @OleMissVB, on Facebook at OleMissVolleyball and on Instagram at OleMissVB. Also follow Coach McRoberts on Twitter, @CoachMcRoberts.
