The University of Mississippi Athletics

Rebels Drop Heartbreaker in Fayetteville Friday
11/22/2019 | Volleyball
Ole Miss falls in a five-setter to Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. – Ole Miss Volleyball (14-12, 6-9) dropped a heartbreaker Friday, falling 3-2 to Arkansas (10-17, 4-11) in five sets (17-25, 35-33, 18-25, 25-14, 12-15) in Barnhill Arena.
Senior Emily Stroup registered a season-high hitting percentage, posting a .323 clip with 25 kills, her seventh contest of the year with 20 kills or more. She added 18 digs, recording her 14th double-double of the season, tying for the league lead with fellow Rebel Lauren Bars. Bars dished out 52 assists in the contest, her second-most of the season.
Sophomore Aubrey Sultemeier fell one kill shy of her season high, posting 11 on a .409 efficiency.
Senior libero Nicole Purcell tallied 25 digs, two away from her career high. Purcell now needs just 18 digs to break the 25-point rally scoring era single-season digs record, set in 2017 by Caroline Adams at 522.
Senior Nayo Warnell registered four blocks, and with that, is now tied for second all-time in block assists with 303, tying the program's first All-American in Regina Thomas '11.
After the Rebels picked up the first two points of the contest, Arkansas ignited with momentum, riding a 7-1 run and continued to hold the advantage, leading by as many as nine points at 17-8. Ole Miss began to chip away at the lead, using the veteran arm of Warnell for a pair of kills, but was unable to overcome the deficit, dropping the opening set 17-25.
Fellow veteran Leah Mulkey took leadership early in the second frame, registering back-to-back slams and put the Rebels in control as they began to build a cushion using a three-point run to go up 10-4 and force the Razorbacks into an early huddle.
Another pair of 3-0 runs, the first featuring another two kills from Mulkey combined with a Purcell service ace, pushed the Rebs to a 10-point advantage at 18-8.
Arkansas used a 6-2 run and a 3-0 rally of their own to chip away at the Ole Miss lead, trimming the deficit to 22-17. The Razorbacks continued to pressure, tallying six straight points to even the contest at 23-23.
A Stroup slam brought the Rebs to set point, but Arkansas once again tied the frame, and a battle of cat-and-mouse ensued. From that point the two squads endured through 11 ties. Stroup tallied three kills during the sequence, and handed the Rebs the decision with an ace, ending the marathon at 35-33.
Ole Miss hit at a .288 efficiency during the second set, boasting a clean sheet with no attack errors all the way until the 23-20 mark. Mulkey finished the frame with five kills, while Stroup added six.
The third frame was a reversal of the second, with Arkansas holding the 18-8 advantage. Ole Miss threatened with four consecutive points late in the set, courtesy of a kill from junior Izzy Guzik, a Stroup slam, and Avery Bugg service ace to accompany an Arkansas miscue and bring the Rebels to within six at 24-18 before the Razorbacks used a Jillian Gillen kill to seal the set 25-18 and take a 2-1 match lead.
Ole Miss responded with momentum in the fourth, picking up the first seven points of the set, including a pair of kills from Stroup, and a slam each from Guzik and Warnell. The Rebels continued to command the frame, leading by as many as nine at 17-8 after a Sultemeier kill. A set of back-to-back slams from Stroup kept Ole Miss with a heavy advantage at 21-11, as the Rebels went on to take the set 25-14 and force a fifth and final frame. The Rebels hit at a stellar .389 clip, as Stroup posted eight kills in the set.
Ole Miss kept control heading into the finale, as the senior duo of Stroup and Warnell combined for six of the first seven points in a 7-1 run. The Rebels continued to command the lead, up 9-3, before Arkansas started to narrow the gap, registering six straight points to tie the contest. A kill from Stroup put the Rebs back in the lead, if only briefly, before Arkansas registered four in a row to build a 13-10 advantage.
The Rebels continued to fight, using kills from Sultemeier and freshman Anna Bair to come within one at 12-13, but Arkansas was able to outlast, picking up the 15-12 score and the match 3-2.
UP NEXT
Ole Miss continues its road swing, traveling to (RV) Texas A&M for a Sunday showdown. The contest will be televised nationally on the SEC Network, with a 3 p.m. first serve.
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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.
Senior Emily Stroup registered a season-high hitting percentage, posting a .323 clip with 25 kills, her seventh contest of the year with 20 kills or more. She added 18 digs, recording her 14th double-double of the season, tying for the league lead with fellow Rebel Lauren Bars. Bars dished out 52 assists in the contest, her second-most of the season.
Sophomore Aubrey Sultemeier fell one kill shy of her season high, posting 11 on a .409 efficiency.
Senior libero Nicole Purcell tallied 25 digs, two away from her career high. Purcell now needs just 18 digs to break the 25-point rally scoring era single-season digs record, set in 2017 by Caroline Adams at 522.
Senior Nayo Warnell registered four blocks, and with that, is now tied for second all-time in block assists with 303, tying the program's first All-American in Regina Thomas '11.
After the Rebels picked up the first two points of the contest, Arkansas ignited with momentum, riding a 7-1 run and continued to hold the advantage, leading by as many as nine points at 17-8. Ole Miss began to chip away at the lead, using the veteran arm of Warnell for a pair of kills, but was unable to overcome the deficit, dropping the opening set 17-25.
Fellow veteran Leah Mulkey took leadership early in the second frame, registering back-to-back slams and put the Rebels in control as they began to build a cushion using a three-point run to go up 10-4 and force the Razorbacks into an early huddle.
Another pair of 3-0 runs, the first featuring another two kills from Mulkey combined with a Purcell service ace, pushed the Rebs to a 10-point advantage at 18-8.
Arkansas used a 6-2 run and a 3-0 rally of their own to chip away at the Ole Miss lead, trimming the deficit to 22-17. The Razorbacks continued to pressure, tallying six straight points to even the contest at 23-23.
A Stroup slam brought the Rebs to set point, but Arkansas once again tied the frame, and a battle of cat-and-mouse ensued. From that point the two squads endured through 11 ties. Stroup tallied three kills during the sequence, and handed the Rebs the decision with an ace, ending the marathon at 35-33.
Ole Miss hit at a .288 efficiency during the second set, boasting a clean sheet with no attack errors all the way until the 23-20 mark. Mulkey finished the frame with five kills, while Stroup added six.
The third frame was a reversal of the second, with Arkansas holding the 18-8 advantage. Ole Miss threatened with four consecutive points late in the set, courtesy of a kill from junior Izzy Guzik, a Stroup slam, and Avery Bugg service ace to accompany an Arkansas miscue and bring the Rebels to within six at 24-18 before the Razorbacks used a Jillian Gillen kill to seal the set 25-18 and take a 2-1 match lead.
Ole Miss responded with momentum in the fourth, picking up the first seven points of the set, including a pair of kills from Stroup, and a slam each from Guzik and Warnell. The Rebels continued to command the frame, leading by as many as nine at 17-8 after a Sultemeier kill. A set of back-to-back slams from Stroup kept Ole Miss with a heavy advantage at 21-11, as the Rebels went on to take the set 25-14 and force a fifth and final frame. The Rebels hit at a stellar .389 clip, as Stroup posted eight kills in the set.
Ole Miss kept control heading into the finale, as the senior duo of Stroup and Warnell combined for six of the first seven points in a 7-1 run. The Rebels continued to command the lead, up 9-3, before Arkansas started to narrow the gap, registering six straight points to tie the contest. A kill from Stroup put the Rebs back in the lead, if only briefly, before Arkansas registered four in a row to build a 13-10 advantage.
The Rebels continued to fight, using kills from Sultemeier and freshman Anna Bair to come within one at 12-13, but Arkansas was able to outlast, picking up the 15-12 score and the match 3-2.
UP NEXT
Ole Miss continues its road swing, traveling to (RV) Texas A&M for a Sunday showdown. The contest will be televised nationally on the SEC Network, with a 3 p.m. first serve.
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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
AR
Kills
65
71
Errors
23
26
Attempts
188
193
Hitting %
.223
.233
Points
76.0
88.0
Assists
60
68
Aces
4
9
Blocks
7.0
8.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Players Mentioned
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