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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
LSU
Rebels to Begin Road Stretch at LSU
2/26/2021 | Volleyball
Ole Miss Spending Final Four Weeks of the Season on the Road
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OLE MISS (0-12, 0-12) at LSU (4-8, 4-8) Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 27-28 • 1 p.m. Baton Rouge, La. • Maravich Center  |
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| WATCH (SUNDAY) • LIVE STATS (SATURDAY) • LIVE STATS (SUNDAY) • OLE MISS NOTES | ||||||||
RALLY POINTS
- Leading Ole Miss on the court this season are captains senior Bayleigh Scott and junior Aubrey Sultemeier.
- GG Carvacho concluded the fall slate with her best performance of the season in the series against Missouri, totaling 30 kills over two matches to become the program's sixth SEC Freshman of the Week.
- In the second match against the Crimson Tide, Anna Bair hit for a team high 21 kills, the most by a Rebel in a match this season and one shy of her career high.
- In her debut in an Ole Miss uniform, freshman right side Samantha Schnitta tallied a total of 10 kills and 12 digs for the first double-double of the season against the Aggies. She is the first freshman Rebel to record a double-double in a season opening match in the past 10 seasons. Schnitta leads the team with five total double-doubles this season, picking up her fourth at MSU with 12 kills and 13 digs.
- Schnitta continues to display her serving strength, recording five aces in the second match against the Bulldogs. This ties the program record for third most in a match all-time in the rally scoring era. Her total of 22 aces on the year ties for 23rd overall in the nation.
- After missing the fall due to injury, freshman middle blocker Sasha Ratliff has made an immediate impact at the net through her first six matches. The Atlanta native recorded nine total blocks off of two solos and seven block assists in the second match against Alabama, the most by a Rebel in a single match this season.
- Ole Miss begins the second half of the spring season embarking on the road for four straight weeks beginning with a trip to Baton Rouge this weekend.
MATCH MAKEUP
- Last Meeting: 10/6/19 in Baton Rouge (Ole Miss 3, LSU 1)
- Last Win: 10/6/19 in Baton Rouge (Ole Miss 3, LSU 1)
- All-Time Series: 19-55 (First Meeting, 1976)
ON THE HORIZON
- Junior Aubrey Sultemeier needs 29 blocks to enter the Top 10 for total blocks in the rally scoring era.
LSU is 4-8 on the season and coming off of a 3-1 win and a series split with Arkansas this past weekend, with two Tigers claiming SEC weekly honors. The Tigers picked up their first win of the spring against the Razorbacks, adding to their win total after sweeping Mississippi State in the fall and taking a win against Alabama.
Taylor Bannister leads the Tigers and ranks third in the SEC averaging 4.10 kills per set, while freshman outside hitter Paige Flickinger has recorded four double-doubles this season. Libero Raigen Cianciulli was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week and Karli Rose was chosen as the SEC Setter of the Week after a strong series against the Hogs.
ALL TIME VS. LSU
The Rebels and Tigers have split the last four matchups, both going 2-2 since 2017, with three of the last four matches between the two programs coming down to the fifth set. Ole Miss claimed last season's lone match in a 3-1 win in Baton Rouge, where Anna Bair led the Rebels with 15 kills.
CAREER NUMBERS AGAINST THE TIGERS
Bair 4 sets 15 kills 5 blocks
Bugg 9 sets 4 assists 18 digs
Scott 13 sets 12 kills 12 blocks
Sultemeier 11 sets 35 kills 12 blocks
Thompson 4 sets 1 attack 18 digs
LAST TIME OUT
In their first road trip of the spring, the Rebels ultimately came up short falling 3-0 and 3-1 at Mississippi State. In the second match against the Bulldogs, the Rebels set career highs with Gabby Easton recording eight kills, Samantha Schnitta with five aces and Aubrey Sultemeier hititng for a .636 clip.
FIERCE FRESHMEN
Two freshmen Rebels lead the squad in three of the five major statistical categoires. Samantha Schnitta paces the team with 11 kills and 22 service aces, while Sasha Ratliff has shown prowess at the net with a team-high 24 blocks.
THAT'S AN ACE
In the second match in Starkville, Samantha Schnitta's serving strength was on full display with five aces against the Bulldogs. This mark tied for third most in a match all-time in the rally scoring era.
VERSUS RANKED FOES
The last time the Rebels took down a ranked team was on the road last season at No. 22 Missouri in a 3-1 victory. Anna Bair picked up eight kills in the win over the Tigers on Oct. 9 of 2019.
STIFF COMPETITION
The series against Florida marked the Rebels fifth and sixth matches against top-15 opponents ranked in the AVCA poll, the most in a single-season dating back to 2003.
FRESHMAN PHENOM
A stellar performance from GG Carvacho against Mizzou, led to the freshman claiming the Rebels first conference honors of the season as the SEC Freshman of the Week. Carvacho totaled 30 kills over two matches, hitting at a .279 clip. She is the ninth freshman since 2001 to tally 20 or more kills in a match.
NEW REBELS ON THE BLOCK
Banwarth announced her inagural signing class on the 11th, with three new Rebels to join the squad next fall. Defensive specialists Bria Samilton and Bailee Middleton will look to assist the squad in the back row, while Under Armour All-American Honorable Mention honoree Julia Dyess will provide power on the outside.
REBELS SLOTTED 10TH IN SEC PRESEASON POLL
After finishing last season in ninth in the SEC with a record of 6-12, Ole Miss was chosen to finish 10th in the first year under Banwarth. Three of the Rebels four opponents this fall season were chosen to finish within the top-five of the conference.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK PROPS
After claiming just two awards total the previous two seasons, the 2019 Rebels set a program milestone, garnering six weekly awards from the SEC. Current Rebel Anna Bair won Freshman of the Week on back-to-back weeks, becoming the first ever player at Ole Miss to win a weekly award consecutively. Junior Aubrey Sultemeier also took home an award, winning Defensive Player of the Week.
NEW FACES TO THE COACHING STAFF
The Rebels offseason saw a shift in leadership, as Ole Miss hired Nebraska assistant Kayla Banwarth to take the helm.
Banwarth, a first-time head coach, arrived in Oxford after a storied career both at Nebraska and with the U.S. Women's National Team. Banwarth is an eight-time medalist with Team USA, including a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and has appeared in the NCAA Tournament seven times in her career (four times as a player, three times as a coach).
Banwarth completed her inaugural staff with fellow Nebraska staffer Beau Lawler and former Oregon standout Maggie Scott. Lawler served as the video coordinator in Lincoln, while Scott was a first-year assistant at La Salle University in Philadelphia.
UP NEXT
Ole Miss continues their road stretch heading to South Carolina next weekend for a two-match series against the Gamecocks Saturday-Sunday. Both matches will take place at 1 p.m CT with TV to be determined.
