The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Poised to Turn Heads During Spring Season
2/5/2016 | Women's Golf
OXFORD, Miss. - After a strong showing and significant scoring improvements in the fall, the Ole Miss women's golf team looks to continue changing the norm on its side of the Whitten Golf Complex.
Seniors Alison Hovatter (Meridianville, Ala.), Abby Newton (Katy, Texas) and Katie Voll (Alpharetta, Ga.) are eager to leave the program in good shape. All three say the new coaching staff and the team's performance in the fall tournaments were a good start.
"I look forward to putting better scores up this spring," Newton said. "I'd really like help lead my team to regionals. The last time I made it to regionals it was by myself and it's not as fun that way."
"The way our tournaments are in the spring, they're tougher fields," Hovatter added. "We can move up in the rankings if we finish well during the tournaments."
For 2016, there's a new look down the coaches hallway after the hiring of Kory Henkes and Drew Belt. With the new faces, comes a new attitude for the team.
"We all started to believe in ourselves more, " Voll said. "The body language changed, we began to hold each others accountable and they believed in us."
"It's hard for a coach to come in and do that when you aren't their recruit," Voll added. "But it's obvious they want us to be successful."
As with every senior student-athlete, they don't want their careers to come to an end, although It's a little different for these three, with the future looking so bright for Rebel golf.
"I feel like we would all agree we are on the right track," Hovatter said with Newton and Voll sitting close. "I just wish we had four more years with (Kory Henkes and Drew Belt), but we are definitely cherishing this last year."
With the first spring event coming this weekend in Athens, Georgia, Newton echoed Hovatter's sentiments about having a strong spring.
"I'm looking forward to setting more records this spring," Newton noted. "It's our last semester and I'd really like to leave something here this spring, the fall wasn't enough for me."
The Rebels tee off for the first time in 2016 tomorrow in the Lady Bulldog Individual and everyone is eager to get moving. The tournament tees off at 8:45 a.m. ET Saturday morning and will feature 36-holes of play, weather permitting.
The Field
Auburn
Dalton State
Georgia
Ole Miss
UNC-Greensboro
Samford
Tennessee
Course Stats
University of Georgia Golf Course; Par 72; 6,331 Yards
Rebel To Watch For
Senior Abby Newton had a record-breaking fall, averaging a team-best 72.67. She was the team's top finisher in three of the four tournaments, and tied the school record for the lowest single-round score with her 7-under par 65 in round two of the CSU Fall Invitational.
Head Coach Henkes Quoted
On the Georgia trip...
"We are excited to kick off the spring season at the UGA individual championship. It's a challenging course with great competition that will allow our whole team the opportunity to compete."
On the successful fall...
"I think we had a great fall season. It was successful. We had two second-place finishes, a fourth and a ninth and looking at the girls averages compared to last year they've all dropped significantly."
For all Ole Miss women's golf news and information, go to OleMissSports.com, and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWGolf and Facebook at Ole Miss Women's Golf. Fans can also follow head coach Kory Henkes on Twitter at @KoryThompson1.
