Volleyball Begins 2019 Campaign Hosting Rebel Invitational

			REBEL INVITATIONAL OLE MISS VS. RICE, IOWA STATE, UCF Oxford, Miss. Gillom Athletics Performance Center
Coach McRoberts Weekend Preview • Emily Stroup Weekend Preview • Nicole Purcell Weekend Preview • Ole Miss Notes

Friday, Aug. 30 vs. Rice 6 p.m.	Saturday, Aug. 31 vs. Iowa State 12:30 p.m.	Sunday, Sept. 1 vs. UCF Noon
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RALLY POINTS

The Rebels welcome three 2018 postseason squads to the Gillom Center for their season opener, hosting NCAA Tournament participants Rice and UCF and reigning NIVC Champions Iowa State.
Ole Miss enters the 2019 campaign with nine returners and five newcomers, including junior transfer Izzy Guzik, a six-rotation player from the University of Portland.
Also new to the Rebels' bench are assistant coach Russ Friedland and volunteer assistant Alexis Lee. Friedland was previously the head coach at Louisiana Monroe, while Lee spent two seasons with Ole Miss before injury forced her retirement in 2016.
The Rebels return one of the most dynamic attackers in the nation in senior outside Emily Stroup. The Fargo, N.D., native ranked second in the country in kills a year ago, finishing the season with 584, a program single-season record.
Additionally, Stroup also set the single-match kills record on three separate occasions in 2018, tallying 30, 31, and 32 kills en route to eclipsing the 1,000th kill mark (11/2/18, Tennessee). She was an AVCA All-Region honoree as well as being tabbed All-SEC for her efforts and was selected Preseason All-SEC for the 2019 season.
Opening weekend could bring a career milestone for Head Coach Steven McRoberts, who enters his sixth season at the helm. McRoberts is seeking just three wins to reach 100 at Ole Miss.
Entering their final 'first weekend' along with Stroup are seniorsNicole Purcell(DS), Leah Mulkey(OH), and Nayo Warnell(MB). All three started more than half of the Rebels 2018 contests.

SCOUTING (RV) RICE
2018: 24-7, C-USA regular season and tournament champs (NCAA Tournament First Round)

Rice is projected to repeat as Conference USA champions and are led by Nicole Lennon, the 2019 C-USA Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year. Lennon led Rice with 482 kills (35th in NCAA) last season and was an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American. Returners Grace Morgan and Anota Adekunle powered the Owls in the middle with 125 and 115 blocks, respectively. All three were named Preseason All-Conference. Rice downed Ole Miss in four sets last September in Houston. Rice is receiving votes in the first AVCA Coaches' Poll of the season, released in mid-August.

All-Time: Ole Miss leads 6-5

SCOUTING IOWA STATE
2018: 21-13, NIVC Champs

Iowa State is coming off a season where it won the National Invitational Volleyball Championship title, the same postseason tournament the Rebels won in 2017. The Cyclones will look to reload after losing their top two hitters from a year ago. Eleanor Holthaus, an All-Big 12 Preseason selection, will be relied upon heavily for offense. Middle blocker Candelaria Herrera provides defense up front (111 blocks in 2018) and libero Izzy Enna protects the back (362 digs). Iowa State hosted the Rebels last August and handed Ole Miss the team's only loss in its first 10 matches.

All-Time: Iowa State leads 2-0

SCOUTING UCF
2018: 27-3, AAC Champs (NCAA Tournament First Round)

UCF were another 2018 NCAA Tournament team. They enter 2019 as the favorites to repeat as American Athletic Conference champions and are receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 preseason poll. McKenna Melville, Kristina Fisher, and Anne-Marie Watson were all named Preseason All-Conference. The trio led the Knights in kills last season. Melville was a 2018 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American. She tallied a team-high 529 kills (14th in NCAA) and was second in digs with 423.

All-Time: Ole Miss leads 4-3

WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Fans can pick up their 2019 schedule posters Friday, and a commemorative poster highlighting the Rebels trip to Europe this past May. Sunday, kids can play on the court postgame presented by Belles & Beaus.

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.

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Players Mentioned

Leah Mulkey

Emily Stroup

Nayo Warnell

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