Volleyball to Kick off 2021 Season at the Troy Preseason Invitational

			Troy Preseason Invitational Aug. 27-28 Troy, Ala. Trojan Arena
Ole Miss Notes (PDF)

Friday, Aug. 27 at Troy 6 p.m.	Saturday, Aug. 28 vs. UAB 4 p.m.
Watch \| Live Stats	Live Stats

RALLY POINTS

Ole Miss begins year two under Kayla Banwarth with her first non-conference matchups as the leader of the Rebels, after playing an all-SEC slate last season.
The Rebels return 10 from last year's squad, including the core of the Rebel defense, who set a program single-match record with 18.0 total blocks at LSU.
After missing the fall segment of last season due to injury, Sasha Ratliff made an immediate splash at the net. The middle blocker racked up 56 total blocks through 14 matches, to lead the squad averaging 1.02 blocks per set.
On the outsides, Ole Miss brings back three of its hardest hitters as Anna Bair, GG Carvacho and Samantha Schnitta accounted for over 50 percent of the team's total kills in 2020-21. Schnitta racked up five double-doubles as a freshman to pace the team.
Libero graduate transfer Sam Burgio begins her Rebel career carrying an 18 match double-digit dig streak into this weekend. The Eden, N.Y., native led the Big 10 at Maryland last season averaging 4.63 digs per set.
Former Big 12 Co-Setter of the Year Kylee McLaughlin joined the Rebels as a graduate transfer this off-season after spending two years at Oklahoma.
Youth highlights the Rebel roster, as Banwarth added five to the squad. Outside hitter Julia Dyess highlights the newcomers as the Mississippi native earned Under Armour All American Honorable Mention accolades coming out of high school.

MATCH MAKEUP

OLE MISS at TROY

All-Time Series: 0-0 (First Meeting, 2021)

OLE MISS vs. UAB

Last Meeting: in Birmingham 9/18/15 (Ole Miss 3, UAB 1)
Last Win: in Birmingham 9/18/15 (Ole Miss 3, UAB 1)
All-Time Series: 23-4 (First Meeting, 1982)

RUNDOWN

SCOUTING THE TROJANS
Troy is coming off of a 2020 season of primarily playing Sun Belt Conference matches, with an 11-9 record and an appearance in the SBC Tournament semifinals.

The Trojans have been tabbed to finish second in the Sun Belt East Division, and tallied the third most-points overall in conference voting. Two Trojans also picked up preseason honors. Setter Amara Anderson and outside hitter Cheyenne Hayes were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt team for the second consecutive year. Anderson and Hayes return after earning All-Sun Belt First team accolades the last two seasons.

SCOUTING THE BLAZERS
After earning its first Conference USA Tournament appearance since 2013 and going 8-8 in 2020, UAB returns all six starters plus its libero heading into the new season.

Outside hitter Fernanda Maida will be back on the court for the Blazers, after being named to the AVCA South All-Region Team. She led C-USA with 4.93 kills per set, and ranking fourth nationally.

ALL TIME VS. UAB
Ole Miss has won three straight against UAB to lead the matchup overall 23-4, in a series that dates back to 1982. The last time the two teams faced off in 2015, Ole Miss took down the Blazers in Birmingham 3-1 at the UAB Tournament.

OPENING IT UP
The Rebels begin the 2021 season taking on non-conference opponents for the first time since 2019, after playing an all-SEC slate throughout the 2020-21 season.

This weekend marks the first of four non-conference tournaments for the Rebels, as they prepare for the grind of SEC play.

READY FOR ROUND TWO
This weekend marks the start of year two of the Kayla Banwarth era, after an rigorous 2020-21 season with eight matches against top-15 opponents from the AVCA Poll. This marked the most matches against ranked opponents in a single-season dating back to 2003.

NEW FACES TO THE BENCH
Three new faces joined the Rebel volleyball family this offseason with the addition of former George Mason middle blocker Brad Creamer as a volunteer assistant coach.

Another former Patriot made his way to Oxford as well, with five-time letter-winner outside hitter Sam Greenslade joining the staff as a graduate manager.

Rounding out the staff is coordinator of operations Kendra Charles. Charles joins the Rebels after spending five seasons as the director of volleyball operations at Northern Colorado.

MISSISSIPPI MADE
When freshman outside hitter Julia Dyess takes the court, she'll be the first Mississippi native to don a Rebel uniform since 2002. The Brandon native garnered Under Armour All-American Honorable Mention honors as a senior at Hartfield Academy.

CLIMBIN' ON UP
Senior middle blocker Aubrey Sultemeier continues to cement her legacy as a Rebel moving up the Ole Miss record book as one of the top middle blockers in program history.

The Fredericksburg, Texas, native is 28 total blocks away from cracking the top-five in the rally scoring era. She already holds the top spot in single-match block assists, recording nine on two separate occasions.

REBELS SLOTTED 11TH IN SEC PRESEASON POLL
After finishing in 12th last season, Ole Miss was tabbed to finish 11th overall in this year's SEC Preseason poll.

The defending national champions held the top spot, as Kentucky was picked as the favorite to repeat as the conference champions again, receiving a total of seven first place votes.

KEEPING IT 100-AT THE GILLOM CENTER

Following a year of limited capacity at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center, Ole Miss is ready to welcome fans back into the venue for 12 home matches.

Admission Ole Miss volleyball matches are free. Fans are required to wear a mask in accordance with university policies.

KEEP UP WITH THE REBELS
Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissVB,Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball, and on Instagram at @olemissvb. You can also follow head coach Kayla Banwarth on Twitter @KaylaBanwarth2.

RebelsCalendar

Players Mentioned

Anna Bair

Sam Burgio

GG Carvacho

Julia Dyess

Kylee McLaughlin

Sasha Ratliff

Samantha Schnitta

Aubrey Sultemeier

The University of Mississippi Athletics