The University of Mississippi Athletics
Record-Breaking Rebels in 2016
12/20/2016 | Volleyball
2016 Season Infographic
OXFORD, Miss. â€" Exciting wins, heartbreaking losses and record-breaking performances highlighted the 2016 season for Ole Miss volleyball. Take a look back as the Rebels posted their third straight winning season for the first time since the mid 80s.
Quick Hits
• The Rebels closed out the 2016 campaign with a 3-0 win vs. South Carolina to finish the season at 17-14 overall and 6-12 in the SEC.
• The Rebels posted their third straight winning season for the first time since posting five consecutive winning seasons from 1982-1986.
• In his 20 years of coaching, head coach Steven McRoberts has never had a losing season.
• One of the youngest teams in the conference, the Rebels 16-member roster featured only one senior, three juniors and the rest freshmen and sophomores.
• The Rebels played all their home matches this season at The Pavilion at Ole Miss, while the Gillom Sports Center is undergoing a renovation. After going 8-5 at The Pavilion, the Rebels will move back to Gillom for the 2017 season.
• Ole Miss set a single-season attendance record with 10,006 fans (average of 770) coming to The Pavilion to watch the Rebels. The Rebels also set a single-match record with 3,775 attending the annual Kids Day Match on Nov. 11.
• The Rebels won the three tournament titles in 2016 bringing their total under Coach McRoberts to 11. They captured the North Dakota Classic, the Rebel Classic and the Scenic City Showdown.
• The Rebels set the single-season record for digs with 1,905, besting the previous mark of 1,791 set in 2011. They also came close to breaking the single-season kills record with 1,625, missing the record by just 29 kills. In 2015, the Rebels set the single-season mark for assists and came within four of breaking that in 2016 with 1,509.
• In addition to the single-season records, the Rebels also posted several single-match records. They posted a single-match best 80 kills and 76 assists in a 3-2 win at North Dakota in the season-opening tournament. The Rebels posted a single-match record 105 digs in the 3-2 loss to Auburn on Oct. 19.
• The Rebels ranked second in the SEC in digs per set including four players with over 300 digs.
• Two players ranked among the top 10 in the SEC in hitting percentage. Lexi Thompson ranked among the top 10 in kills per set (3.50) and points per set (3.90). Kate Gibson joined Thompson in the top 10 in kills per set with 3.42. Sophomore Caroline Adams ranked among the top 10 in SEC matches only in digs per set with a team-leading 3.01.
Edie, Thompson Earn AVCA All-South Region honors…
Senior Aubrey Edie and junior Lexi Thompson played a major role in Ole Miss posting its third straight winning season for the first time since the mid 80s, and both were named to the AVCA All-South Region Team. It was the second time for Edie to be honored by the AVCA and the first time for Thompson.
Edie goes out on top…
Aubrey Edie left her mark at Ole Miss and leaves with the career, single-season and single-match assists records. Her 4,834 assists ranked fifth in the NCAA in active career assists. She paved the way for the Rebels to have two hitters among the top 10 in the SEC and two players in the top 10 in kills and points per set.
Thompson, Gibson killed it in 2016…
Junior Lexi Thompson set the single-season record for kills with 437. Fellow junior outside hitter Kate Gibson followed close behind with 427 kills and set the single-match record with 27 kills in a 3-2 win at North Dakota on the opening weekend of play. Both ranked among the top 10 in the SEC in kills per set.
Thompson doubles up…
Lexi Thompson posted an SEC-leading 21 double-doubles in 2016 and now owns 34 for her career. Kate Gibson finished fourth in the SEC with 16 double-doubles and Aubrey Edie finished tied for fifth with 14.
1,000 times two…
Both Lexi Thompson and Kate Gibson, recorded their 1,000th kills this year and both should become the first members of the 1,000/1,000 club in the rally scoring era at Ole Miss next season. Thompson and Gibson need 82 and 46 digs, respectively, to become the newest members of the exclusive club.
Edie earns Academic All-America honors…
For the second year in a row, Aubrey Edie was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team. She was one of six selections to the first team and one of two from the SEC to be named to one of the three teams. Edie was also one of five student-athletes to repeat as Academic All-America honorees, after earning third-team honors in 2015. Edie boasts a 3.97 grade point average in elementary education.
Highest team GPA in seven years…
Not only did the team set records on the court, but the Rebels recorded their highest team grade point average in seven years with a 3.35, which included 12 players with a 3.0 or higher.
