.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Volleyball Welcomes Georgia Sunday
9/29/2017 | Volleyball
Complete Notes (PDF) | Watch: (SECN+) |
OXFORD, Miss. â€" Seeking to continue their winning streak, the Ole Miss volleyball team welcomes Georgia to the Gillom Sports Center Sunday for a 1:30 p.m. match.
For fans who can't make it to the match, it will be broadcast on SEC Network + via the Watch ESPN app. Seth Austin and Brittney McLaughlin will have the call.
Promotions…
Fans coming to Sunday's match will enjoy a free coffee. Bring the family to the match then stick around for postgame autographs & "Kids Court" sponsored by Belles and Beaus!
Quick Hits…
• The Rebels swept Mississippi State on the road Wednesday to improve to 11-5 overall and 2-1 in the SEC.
• The Rebels improved to 70-26 against State and snapped a three-match losing streak in the series.
• It also marked the first shutout in the series for the Rebels since 2014.
• The Rebels 2-1 start in SEC play is the first time since 2010 they've had a winning record in conference play after three matches.
• The Rebels have posted six shutouts in their first 16 matches compared to just five in 2016.
• Senior outside hitters Lexi Thompson and Kate Gibson finished with 8 kills each to lead the Rebels. Gibson also added 10 digs and a career-high 4 service aces.
• Sophomore Nayo Warnell finished with 5 kills on a .455 clip and tallied 6 blocks. As a team, the Rebels posted a season-high for three sets with 11 blocks.
• The Rebels also finished with a season-best 7 aces in a three-set match, including four from Gibson.
• Junior Caroline Adams averaged 5.0 digs per set.
• The Rebels lead the SEC in digs per set at 17.21, rank second in opponent hitting percentage (.154) and fifth in kills (13.71).
• Several Rebels rank among the league leaders in various categories. Lexi Thompson ranks 10th (3.22) in kills per set. Caroline Adams ranks sixth in the SEC in digs per set (4.10) and Nayo Warnell ranks seventh in hitting percentage (.353).
• Kate Gibson leads the SEC with 11 double-doubles and owns 36 for her career. Lexi Thompson owns the career record (44) at Ole Miss and ranks second in the SEC with 10 double-doubles.
A win would mean…
A win Sunday would mark the fifth in a row for the Rebels against Georgia and third straight in Oxford. It would also continue the Rebels best start in SEC play since 2010.
Scouting Georgia…
Georgia heads into the weekend at 11-4 overall and 1-1 in league play. They host Texas A&M Friday before coming to Oxford. The Bulldogs, led by first-year head coach Tom Black, are a young team with eight freshmen and one sophomore. Three-time SEC Freshman of the Week T'ara Ceasar is ranked fifth in the SEC for kills (4.17 per set) and tied for third in service aces (0.50 per set), leading Georgia to its top ranking in service aces (1.76 per set). She's also third in points per set (4.95). Freshman Rachel Ritchie ranks third in the SEC with 4.27 kills per set. Freshman Kendall Glover averages 3.69 digs per set and ranks top 10 in the SEC, while sophomore Meghan Donovan is third in the SEC with 11.08 assists per set.
Rebels vs. Bulldogs…
Georgia leads the all-time series with Ole Miss, but the Rebels have won four straight, including a 3-1 (27-25, 23-25, 25-12, 25-19) win last year in Athens. The last time the two teams met in Oxford (Oct. 9, 2015), the Rebels won 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-20).
Last meeting…
A balanced attack led Ole Miss to a 3-1 win (27-25, 23-25, 25-12, 25-19) in Athens in late November last year. Georgia raced out to a big lead early, but the Rebels later tied it up and ended up winning the first set on an ace by Kate Gibson, one of eight for the Rebels on the day. After dropping the second set, the Rebels used a 14-4 run in the third set and closed out the Bulldogs for a 2-1 lead. Tied 15-15 in the third set, Ole Miss went on a 10-4 run to finish off the set for the 3-1 win. Senior Lexi Thompson posted a double-double of 15 kills and 15 digs in the win and Gibson also recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs. Junior Caroline Adams posted a season-high 25 digs.
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.
