The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, October 4
Starkville, Miss.
6 PM
Ole Miss
10-3 (2-0SEC)
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Mississippi State
11-4 (0-3SEC)
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Ole Miss
25
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Mississippi St.
9
25
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12
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Senior Trio Guides Rebs to 10th-Straight in Rivalry Win at MSU
10/4/2019 | Volleyball
The 2019 Rebels tie for the second-longest win streak in Steven McRoberts’ tenure
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- In their final matchup against their in-state foes, the Ole Miss Volleyball seniors delivered a thriller Friday, downing Mississippi State in a come-from-behind five-set thriller (25-9, 23-25, 18-25, 25-23, 15-12), and picking up their 10th-straight victory.
The Rebels improve to 10-3 on the season and 2-0 in league play, while the Bulldogs drop to 11-4 and 0-3 in conference play.
The 10-match win streak ties the 2015 Rebels for the second-most in head coach Steven McRoberts' six-year tenure, and is the fourth-straight victory over MSU for Ole Miss.
Senior Emily Stroup led the way for Ole Miss, turning in her fifth 20+ match of the season with 21 kills. She added 15 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. Classmate Leah Mulkey was strong early, turning in a season-best 11 kills on a .391 clip, while fellow veteran Nayo Warnell added 10, hitting at a .588 efficiency.
Junior Lauren Bars turned in her league-leading eighth double-double of the season, registering 53 assists and 16 digs. Senior Nicole Purcell, reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Week, led the way with 19.
Ole Miss held the Bulldogs to just nine points in the opening stanza, the second time this season the Rebels limited opponents to single-digits in a set (Oral Roberts, 9, Sept. 14). Using two separate four-point runs sprinkled between a 7-0 rally, the Rebels secured 14 of the final 18 points of the contest, cruising to a 25-9 mark.
Play was sparked by Mulkey, who carried a stellar .667 hitting efficiency through the first two sets.
MSU responded by controlling most of the second frame, going up by as many as five points at 20-15. Following the timeout from that mark, the Rebs ignited for four straight points, including back-to-back kills from Mulkey to put Ole Miss within one.
The Bulldogs took advantage of some late set miscues from the Rebels, putting up set point at 24-22 before going on to even the match at 25-23.
The process was repeated to begin the third set, as MSU again took a five-point cushion and rode it through the early stages of the frame. A quick tip from Bars and a pair of slams from Stroup trimmed the deficit, bringing Ole Miss to within two at 13-11.
The Bulldogs took advantage of back-to-back attack errors from the Rebels to go on a mini 3-0 run, regaining the five-point advantage and then repeated the process in the final few points to go up 23-16 and go on to take a 2-1 match lead.
Keeping with the trend of the previous two sets, MSU ignited to open the fourth, picking up seven of the first nine points. After cutting away at the lead and narrowing the gap to 15-13, the Rebs came out of the huddle strong, picking up a block from junior Bayleigh Scott and a Mulkey kill to tie the set at 15 all.
The Bulldogs climbed back into the lead, but the Rebels once again stifled that on another block, this time from Warnell, to even things once again. The two squads endured four total ties from the 20-20 mark, as Warnell, Stroup, and Mulkey all delivered timely kills.
After a Bulldog attack error put the Rebs at set point, Mulkey stole the frame for the Rebs with another critical slam to even the match and force a fifth set.
In similar fashion the first frame, Ole Miss carried the momentum in the finale, building a three-point advantage at 11-7 after a MSU miscue sandwiched between a Stroup solo rejection and kill. Another kill from Stroup added cushion for the Rebs at 12-8, before State began to threaten picking up back-to-back points on two Ole Miss errors.
Ole Miss reached match point at 14-10 on a kill from freshman Anna Bair before MSU continued to threaten with another pair of points.
Bair again delivered, turning in the decisive kill and stealing the match back for Ole Miss, maintaining an unblemished conference record.
UP NEXT
Ole Miss continues its road trip, traveling to Baton Rouge, La., to face LSU Sunday. The Tigers are 2-1 in league play, having swept both Mississippi State and Arkansas before falling to No. 22 Missouri.
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Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissVB, Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball, @olemissvb on Instagram. You can also follow head coach Steven McRoberts on Twitter @CoachMcRoberts.
The Rebels improve to 10-3 on the season and 2-0 in league play, while the Bulldogs drop to 11-4 and 0-3 in conference play.
The 10-match win streak ties the 2015 Rebels for the second-most in head coach Steven McRoberts' six-year tenure, and is the fourth-straight victory over MSU for Ole Miss.
Senior Emily Stroup led the way for Ole Miss, turning in her fifth 20+ match of the season with 21 kills. She added 15 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. Classmate Leah Mulkey was strong early, turning in a season-best 11 kills on a .391 clip, while fellow veteran Nayo Warnell added 10, hitting at a .588 efficiency.
Junior Lauren Bars turned in her league-leading eighth double-double of the season, registering 53 assists and 16 digs. Senior Nicole Purcell, reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Week, led the way with 19.
Ole Miss held the Bulldogs to just nine points in the opening stanza, the second time this season the Rebels limited opponents to single-digits in a set (Oral Roberts, 9, Sept. 14). Using two separate four-point runs sprinkled between a 7-0 rally, the Rebels secured 14 of the final 18 points of the contest, cruising to a 25-9 mark.
Play was sparked by Mulkey, who carried a stellar .667 hitting efficiency through the first two sets.
MSU responded by controlling most of the second frame, going up by as many as five points at 20-15. Following the timeout from that mark, the Rebs ignited for four straight points, including back-to-back kills from Mulkey to put Ole Miss within one.
The Bulldogs took advantage of some late set miscues from the Rebels, putting up set point at 24-22 before going on to even the match at 25-23.
The process was repeated to begin the third set, as MSU again took a five-point cushion and rode it through the early stages of the frame. A quick tip from Bars and a pair of slams from Stroup trimmed the deficit, bringing Ole Miss to within two at 13-11.
The Bulldogs took advantage of back-to-back attack errors from the Rebels to go on a mini 3-0 run, regaining the five-point advantage and then repeated the process in the final few points to go up 23-16 and go on to take a 2-1 match lead.
Keeping with the trend of the previous two sets, MSU ignited to open the fourth, picking up seven of the first nine points. After cutting away at the lead and narrowing the gap to 15-13, the Rebs came out of the huddle strong, picking up a block from junior Bayleigh Scott and a Mulkey kill to tie the set at 15 all.
The Bulldogs climbed back into the lead, but the Rebels once again stifled that on another block, this time from Warnell, to even things once again. The two squads endured four total ties from the 20-20 mark, as Warnell, Stroup, and Mulkey all delivered timely kills.
After a Bulldog attack error put the Rebs at set point, Mulkey stole the frame for the Rebs with another critical slam to even the match and force a fifth set.
In similar fashion the first frame, Ole Miss carried the momentum in the finale, building a three-point advantage at 11-7 after a MSU miscue sandwiched between a Stroup solo rejection and kill. Another kill from Stroup added cushion for the Rebs at 12-8, before State began to threaten picking up back-to-back points on two Ole Miss errors.
Ole Miss reached match point at 14-10 on a kill from freshman Anna Bair before MSU continued to threaten with another pair of points.
Bair again delivered, turning in the decisive kill and stealing the match back for Ole Miss, maintaining an unblemished conference record.
UP NEXT
Ole Miss continues its road trip, traveling to Baton Rouge, La., to face LSU Sunday. The Tigers are 2-1 in league play, having swept both Mississippi State and Arkansas before falling to No. 22 Missouri.
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Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissVB, Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball, @olemissvb on Instagram. You can also follow head coach Steven McRoberts on Twitter @CoachMcRoberts.
Team Stats
OM
MSU
Kills
63
58
Errors
27
27
Attempts
175
169
Hitting %
.206
.183
Points
73.0
73.0
Assists
61
56
Aces
3
2
Blocks
7.0
13.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
21
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
S
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
DS
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballMB
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