Volleyball Welcomes Four to 2018 Rebel Invite

	Aug. 31 \| 10:00 a.m. \| Oxford, Miss. Gillom Athletics Performance Center SECN+

	Aug. 31 \| 6:30 p.m. \| Oxford, Miss. Gillom Athletics Performance Center

	Sept. 1 \| 2:30 p.m. \| Oxford, Miss. Gillom Athletics Performance Center

	Sept. 2 \| 1:30 p.m. \| Oxford, Miss. Gillom Athletics Performance Center

Live Coverage…
All nine matches of the Rebel Invitational will have live scoring available, while each of the Ole Miss matchups will be televised on SECN+.

Quick Hits…

The five teams competing in the Rebel Invite enter the weekend with a combined record of 13-2, with Ohio State, Southern Miss, and Little Rock all collecting tournament titles to begin the 2018 season.
Friday's 6:30 p.m. showdown with Ohio State will be Ole Miss' fourth power 5 non-conference opponent of the season.
The Rebels went 2-1 at the Iowa State Invitational last weekend, picking up a thrilling five-set victory over (RV) Oregon State, and improve to 15-2 in opening weekend play under fifth-year coach Steven McRoberts.
Senior libero Caroline Adams registered her 1,000^th career dig in the Rebels' season opener, a 3-1 win over Virginia. Adams now has 1,038 digs, ranking seventh in program history.
She and junior outside Emily Stroup were named to the Iowa State Invite All-Tournament Team, where Stroup averaged 4.50 kills and 3.00 digs per set, posting three double-doubles on the weekend.
Freshman Aubrey Sultemeier had an impressive collegiate debut, tallying 14 total blocks and 21 kills across 12 sets.

Scouting Samford
The Bulldogs arrive in Oxford with a 2-1 record, led by junior right side Kelsi Hobbs' 43 kills and .357 hitting efficiency. Samford was selected to finish fourth in the SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll, coming off a 13-18 record in 2017. Hobbs and senior setter Taylor Anderton were both named to the Courtyard by Marriott Samford All-Tournament squad last weekend. Anderton recorded 43 assists and 17 digs in the Bulldogs' only loss, a 3-2 loss to Kennesaw State.

Ole Miss carries a 3-1 all-time advantage over Samford, with the two teams last meeting at the 2014 Rebel Classic, a straight set sweep for the Rebels.

Scouting Ohio State
The Buckeyes enter the weekend on a 3-0 clip, taking down foes Albany (3-1), Ohio (3-0), and Texas A&M (3-0). Ohio State is led by co-Big 10 Player of the Week Lauren Witte, who posted a .636 hitting percentage with 37 kills, 12 blocks, and three aces last weekend. Kentucky transfer Olivia Dailey dished out 121 assists to guide the Buckeyes to a team efficiency of .344.

Ole Miss and Ohio State have faced just one time before, a contest that went in favor of the Buckeyes 2-0 in 1981.

Scouting Little Rock
The Trojans recorded a perfect opening weekend, going 4-0 without dropping a single set, collecting a new program record in the process and holding opponents to under 20 points in 11 of the 12 sets. This marks just the second time in program history the team has begun a season 4-0, the last coming in 1998 when they advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Sophomore outside Mya Robinson leads the crew, posting 34 kills and a near-.300 hitting percentage.

Ole Miss leads the all-time series 5-3, winning the last two contests. The two squads last faced in 2010 at the Magnolia Invitational, where the Rebels picked up a sweep.

Scouting Southern Miss
The Golden Eagles also come to Oxford with a clean record, taking wins over Spring Hill College (3-0), Alcorn State (3-1), and East Carolina (3-0). Southern Miss also put up strong defensive numbers, allowing more than 20 points in just one set—the one they dropped to Alcorn State. The Golden Eagles went 20-11 a year ago and were chosen to finish fifth in the 2018 Conference USA Preseason Coaches' Poll. Last week's tournament MVP, Kylie Grandy, tops the team with 4.22 kills per set (38 total) and a .413 hitting percentage.

The most common matchup of the tournament, Ole Miss holds a commanding 26-3 lead all-time. The two foes last met in 2013, another victorious sweep for the Rebels.

Up Next
The Rebels return to the road next weekend, trekking up to Atlanta for the Georgia State Invitational, facing Chicago State, Sam Houston State, and host Georgia State in the two-day event.

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 at @CoachMcRoberts.

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Players Mentioned

Caroline Adams

Emily Stroup

Aubrey Sultemeier

The University of Mississippi Athletics