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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, September 14
Conway, Ark.
2:30 PM
Ole Miss
3
vs
1
Oral Roberts
Rebels Win Sixth Straight in Second Consecutive Tournament Title
9/14/2019 | Volleyball
Senior middle blocker Nayo Warnell named Tournament MVP after a stellar weekend of play
CONWAY, Ark. – Capping a fantastic weekend on the court for Ole Miss Volleyball (6-3), senior Nayo Warnell was dubbed Tournament MVP after guiding the Rebels to a 3-1 victory over Oral Roberts (22-25, 25-18, 25-11, 25-9) in the conclusion of the Central Arkansas Classic held at the Farris Center in Conway.
Warnell nearly delivered a double-double performance, tallying a season-high 13 kills (one shy of her career best) on a brilliant .632 hitting percentage, and added nine total blocks. She finished the weekend with 19 rejections and 27 kills on a .619 clip.
Joining her on the All-Tournament squad was classmate Emily Stroup and junior Lauren Bars. Stroup posted her fourth double-double of the season, boasting 17 kills and 12 digs. Bars dished out 43 assists and added five blocks on the day.
Senior libero Nicole Purcell tallied 25 digs during the contest, one short of her career-high, and freshman Anna Bair added 10 kills. Sophomore Aubrey Sultemeier also performed in strong fashion, posting eight kills on a .438 clip with seven blocks.
The Rebels finished the match with a season-high 17 rejections at the net, one away from tying a program best.
After being forced to call an early huddle, trailing by five in the early stages of the opening stanza, the Rebels rallied to even things at nine, using a pair of Stroup kills and Bars service aces. The Golden Eagles quickly returned to control, building a four to five point lead as late as 20-15.
Stroup, Bair, and senior Leah Mulkey sprinkled in kills, combined with back-to-back ORU miscues, to bring the Rebs back into striking position at 21-23, before ultimately falling 22-25 in the opening frame.
With a 9-6 lead in the second set, Oral Roberts rallied to even the score, then took control after a trio of Rebel errors with a 9-12 lead. Ole Miss began to inch its way back, using a kill from Bair and a block from Mulkey to come within one.
ORU held the lead briefly once more, before a block by the duo of Stroup and Sultemeier tied things once again at 17. After a kill from Mulkey put the Rebels up 18-17, a late-set surge from Sultemeier guided Ole Miss to a 25-18 victory, as she tallied two blocks and a set of back-to-back kills during the final six points for the Rebs.
With the match even at one set apiece, the Rebels began to run away with the third frame, solidifying a 2-1 match lead. A Warnell kill and pair of sophomore and Arkansas native Lauren Thompson service aces handed Ole Miss an overwhelming 25-11 set score.
The Rebels cruised to their sixth-straight victory and second consecutive tournament title after building an early and demanding lead in set four, going up 7-2. The Golden Eagles attempted a comeback, coming within three at 10-7, but it was quickly doused on a 13-2 run thanks to the quartet of Warnell, Bair, Stroup, and Mulkey.
UP NEXT
Ole Miss heads to the nation's capital, taking on Howard and American in a D.C. weekend next Friday and Saturday.
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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.
Warnell nearly delivered a double-double performance, tallying a season-high 13 kills (one shy of her career best) on a brilliant .632 hitting percentage, and added nine total blocks. She finished the weekend with 19 rejections and 27 kills on a .619 clip.
Joining her on the All-Tournament squad was classmate Emily Stroup and junior Lauren Bars. Stroup posted her fourth double-double of the season, boasting 17 kills and 12 digs. Bars dished out 43 assists and added five blocks on the day.
Senior libero Nicole Purcell tallied 25 digs during the contest, one short of her career-high, and freshman Anna Bair added 10 kills. Sophomore Aubrey Sultemeier also performed in strong fashion, posting eight kills on a .438 clip with seven blocks.
The Rebels finished the match with a season-high 17 rejections at the net, one away from tying a program best.
After being forced to call an early huddle, trailing by five in the early stages of the opening stanza, the Rebels rallied to even things at nine, using a pair of Stroup kills and Bars service aces. The Golden Eagles quickly returned to control, building a four to five point lead as late as 20-15.
Stroup, Bair, and senior Leah Mulkey sprinkled in kills, combined with back-to-back ORU miscues, to bring the Rebs back into striking position at 21-23, before ultimately falling 22-25 in the opening frame.
With a 9-6 lead in the second set, Oral Roberts rallied to even the score, then took control after a trio of Rebel errors with a 9-12 lead. Ole Miss began to inch its way back, using a kill from Bair and a block from Mulkey to come within one.
ORU held the lead briefly once more, before a block by the duo of Stroup and Sultemeier tied things once again at 17. After a kill from Mulkey put the Rebels up 18-17, a late-set surge from Sultemeier guided Ole Miss to a 25-18 victory, as she tallied two blocks and a set of back-to-back kills during the final six points for the Rebs.
With the match even at one set apiece, the Rebels began to run away with the third frame, solidifying a 2-1 match lead. A Warnell kill and pair of sophomore and Arkansas native Lauren Thompson service aces handed Ole Miss an overwhelming 25-11 set score.
The Rebels cruised to their sixth-straight victory and second consecutive tournament title after building an early and demanding lead in set four, going up 7-2. The Golden Eagles attempted a comeback, coming within three at 10-7, but it was quickly doused on a 13-2 run thanks to the quartet of Warnell, Bair, Stroup, and Mulkey.
UP NEXT
Ole Miss heads to the nation's capital, taking on Howard and American in a D.C. weekend next Friday and Saturday.
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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.
Players Mentioned
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