The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Head to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama
11/22/2016 | Volleyball
Complete Notes (PDF) | Live Scoring | Watch (SECN+)
OXFORD, Miss. - With the 2016 season coming to an end this week, the Ole Miss volleyball team heads to Tuscaloosa Wednesday to face Alabama in the final road trip before closing out the year Friday at home against South Carolina. First serve for the Rebels and Crimson Tide will be 7 p.m. at Foster Auditorium.
Fans can watch the match on WatchESPN.com or the ESPN app.
Quick hits…
• The Rebels defeated Georgia 3-1 Sunday in Athens to win their fourth consecutive against the Bulldogs and second straight in Athens.
• With Sunday's win, the Rebels are guaranteed their third straight winning season for the first time since posting five consecutive winning seasons from 1982-1986.
• Junior outside hitter Lexi Thompson posted her SEC-leading 19th double-double with 15 kills and 15 digs.
• Junior right side Kathryn Cather, who has missed nine SEC matches this season due to concussion symptoms and started her first match since the Auburn contest on Oct. 19, tallied a team-high 17 kills on a .480 clip.
• Junior middle blocker Taylor Alexander finished with 13 kills on a .462 hitting percentage. She also added 4 blocks.
• With her 14 blocks last week, Taylor Alexander ranks fourth in a single season with 112 blocks so far. She needs nine in the final two matches to move up to second.
• Junior outside hitter Kate Gibson recorded her 14th double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs.
• Senior Aubrey Edie passed out 53 assists and also chipped in 5 kills on a .625 clip with zero errors.
• Sophomore Caroline Adams tallied a career-high 25 digs as the Rebels finished with 68 digs. They lead the SEC in digs per match.
• The Rebels tied the single-season record for digs with 1,791 and two matches remaining.
• The Rebels hit .272 against Georgia with 64 kills. With 1,522 kills, the Rebels need 133 in the remaining matches to break the single-season record set last year.
Scouting Alabama…
Alabama comes into Wednesday's match at 18-11 overall and 7-9 in the SEC. They are coming off a 3-0 win at South Carolina on Nov. 18. The Crimson Tide is led by senior middle blocker Krystal Rivers, who leads the SEC with 5.77 kills per set and 6.57 blocks per set. She is also third in the SEC with 0.40 service aces per set.
Rebels vs. Crimson Tide…
Alabama leads the all-time series against Ole Miss 43-22, but the Rebels have won four straight, including a 3-1 victory on Oct. 23 this season in Oxford. The last time the two teams met in Tuscaloosa (Nov. 20, 2015), the Rebels won 3-1.
Thompson Doubling Up…
Junior outside hitter Lexi Thompson leads the SEC in double-doubles with 19. Thompson recorded her 19th in the win at Georgia with 15 kills and 15 digs. For her career, Thompson has 32 double-doubles.
Gibson Doubles Up Too…
Junior outside hitter Kate Gibson posted her 14th double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs in the win at Georgia and ranks fourth in the SEC.
Alexander Making her Mark…
Junior middle blocker Taylor Alexander is making her mark on the court this year for the Rebels. In September she was named to the Lipscomb Invitational All-Tournament Team, the Rebel Classic All-Tournament Team and the MVP of the Scenic City Showdown. She ranks 11th in the SEC in hitting percentage at .328. She tallied a career-high of 17 kills against Chattanooga. Against Mississippi State, Alexander posted a career-high 10 blocks and missed her first career double-double with nine kills. With 112 blocks, Alexander ranks fourth in a single season at Ole Miss and needs nine to move to second.
Thompson Making Her Way Up Career Ladder…
Lexi Thompson is making her way up the career charts at Ole Miss in kills and digs. With 996 career kills, Thompson ranks sixth all-time and needs four to record her 1,000th and move up to fifth. She has also added her name once again to the single-season list with 403 this year. She already holds the single-season kills record by a freshman with 324 in 2014 and is chasing teammate Kate Gibson for the top spot. With 893 career digs, Thompson ranks seventh and needs 57 to move into sixth.
Single-Season Kills Record Belongs to Gibson…
With her 16 kills in the win over Tennessee, Kate Gibson set the single season record now with 407. She eclipsed the previous record of 366 set by All-American Nakeyta Clair in 2014. Lexi Thompson is hot on her heels with 403.
1,000 Times Two…
Kate Gibson recorded her 1,000th kill at Auburn and now has 1,057. Her teammate, Lexi Thompson, is closing in on her 1,000th kill as well. With 996, she needs four. With 939 digs, Gibson is on pace to become the first Rebel to join the 1,000/1,000 club in the rally scoring era. Thompson is right behind needing just four kills and 107 digs to do the same.
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.
