The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
17-14, 8-10
South Carolina
12-17, 5-12
Rebels Defeat South Carolina on Senior Night
11/22/2017 | Volleyball
Box Score (PDF) | Highlights
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss volleyball honored seniors Kate Gibson and Lexi Thompson for their record-setting careers Wednesday night at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center and then the duo helped the Rebels defeat South Carolina 3-1 (25-11, 21-25, 25-18, 25-19).
Gibson and Thompson have put their names all over the record book and on this night, both showed out one more time for Rebel Nation. Gibson posted her SEC-leading 20th double-double with 16 kills and 20 digs, while also adding 3 service aces. Thompson chipped in 8 kills and 13 digs, a service ace and 3 blocks.
The seniors had plenty of help as well, with sophomore Emily Stroup tallying her 11th double-double of the season with a career-high 23 kills on a .319 clip and 13 digs.
Ole Miss came out firing in set one hitting .389 and siding out at 81 percent on their way to a 25-11 win. South Carolina answered though, taking set two 25-21 behind a .394 attack percentage to tie the match.
The Rebels led 15-11 at the media timeout of set three, but the Gamecocks went on a 5-1 run to tie it at 16. Ole Miss answered South Carolina with a 9-2 run to close out the set 25-18 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Wanting to avoid a fifth set, the Rebels raced to a 9-5 lead in the fourth set forcing the Gamecocks to use their first timeout. They never got closer the rest of the way as the Rebels finished off the set on a 25-19 for the 3-1 win.
Quick Hits…
• Ole Miss is now 17-14 overall, 8-10 in the SEC.
• The Rebels have now won three straight overall against South Carolina and four in a row against the Gamecocks in Oxford.
• Ole Miss set a single-season attendance record with 10,716 fans coming to the Gillom Athletics Performance Center this year.
• The Rebels' 83 digs are the second most overall and most in an SEC four-set match this season.
• The Rebels set the single-season record for digs, blowing past last year's record total now with 1,981.
• With 64 kills (16 per set), the Rebels now have 1,614 for the season and need just 41 to set the single-season record.
• With 57 assists on the night, the Rebels now have 1,498 and need just 15 to set the single-season record.
• Sophomore Emily Stroup tallied her 11th double-double of the season with a career-high 23 kills on a .319 clip and 13 digs.
• Senior Kate Gibson posted her SEC-leading 20th double-double with 16 kills and 20 digs and added 3 service aces.
• Senior Lexi Thompson chipped in 8 kills, 13 digs and 3 blocks.
• Junior Caroline Adams posted 18 digs (4.5 per set).
• Sophomore Nayo Warnell finished with 9 kills on a .500 clip.
• Sophomore setter Jordan Fate recorded her sixth double-double and third in the past four matches with 22 assists and 10 digs.
Talking with seniors Kate Gibson and Lexi Thompson…
"As a team, our goal was to go out and get the win, but honestly, that first set surprised me with how well we played," Gibson said. "Losing the second set lit a fire under us, because we didn't want it to go to five."
"It was so much fun to play in front of Rebel Nation for possibly the last time," Thompson said. "It's so great to have them behind you especially when they get so loud and involved. That really long rally we had in the first set I've never heard the stands so loud before. It was amazing."
Up next…
The Rebels will find out Sunday night if their season will continue in the NIVC, which will be announced following the NCAA selection show.
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.
