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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, December 6
Omaha, Neb.
7 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Creighton
Volleyball Set for NCAA Second Round at No. 6 Creighton
12/6/2024 | Volleyball
OMAHA, Neb. – With another chance at history, the Ole Miss volleyball program is set for their first-ever NCAA second round appearance, facing No. 6 Creighton on Friday at 7 p.m. CT.
The Rebels (18-11, 7-9 SEC) are fresh off their first ranked win since 2021 and first-ever NCAA Tournament victory over No. 21 Florida State, while the second-seeded Bluejays (30-2, 18-0 Big East) earned a 3-0 victory over South Dakota in round one.
RALLY POINTS
SERIES HISTORY
LAST TIME OUT
The Rebels made history on Thursday night, defeating No. 21 Florida State for their first ever NCAA Tournament win and first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 15 Western Kentucky in 2021.
Payton Brgoch led the way with a career-high 19 kills, along with eight blocks and a .500 hitting percentage. Sasha Ratliff also made history, becoming the program's all-time leader in total blocks across all eras, tallying nine in the win. Mokihana Tufono matched her career-high with 59 assists, while Shayla Meyer added a double-double of 13 kills and 16 digs in the win.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Ole Miss enters the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history after the win over Florida State on Thursday. It's the fifth overall appearance for the Rebels in the tournament. Previously, the Rebels have competed in the 2021, 2010, 2007 and 2006 tournaments, falling in the first round at Creighton, vs. North Carolina, vs. BYU and at USC, respectively.
This event marks the second time for the Rebels in Omaha after a 3-0 loss to the Bluejays in 2021.
SEC HONORS
Nia Washington and Cammy Niesen each etched their names in the Ole Miss record books, as both took home honors from the SEC's annual awards.
Washington took home All-SEC First Team honors, becoming the 19th Rebel to earn All-SEC honors and the first since Sasha Ratliff in 2022. Her breakout campaign helped the Rebels emerge with an NCAA Tournament berth and her kills per set in the SEC play ranked fifth in the conference.
Cammy Niesen was named the SEC's Scholar Athlete of the Year, becoming the first Rebel to win the award since its inception in 2003. Niesen developed a reputation as one of the best liberos in the conference, while maintaining a 3.81 GPA and pursuing a chemical engineering degree.
CALL ON THE VETS
While the Rebels are making their first NCAA appearance since 2021, there are still holdovers from the last squad that made it, as Payton Brgoch, Sasha Ratliff and Bailee Middleton all competed in the program's last NCAA match against Creighton in Omaha.
Ratliff played in all three sets, recording seven kills and a block, while Brgoch played in two sets, tallying three kills and a block. Middleton also appeared in one set against the Bluejays.
The most experienced NCAA competitor on the roster is Emma Ammerman, who competed in four NCAA matches during her time at Pepperdine. Ammerman was a career .226 hitter with 18 kills, four blocks, two assists and two digs, recording 20.5 points for the Waves.
RISING STAR
Nia Washington enters the tournament in a breakout junior season that has culminated in her earning All-SEC First Team honors for the first time in her career.
Washington has become a lethal hitter in SEC play, averaging 4.42 kills per set, compared to her 3.84 kills per set average this season. The New Orleans native has seven, 20-kill matches in her last 14 contests, headlined by a 32-kill explosion on November 17 against Mississippi State and culminating in a 30-kill performance in a near upset of No. 14 Texas in Austin.
Her play has also gained her recognition nationally, when she named to NCAA Volleyball's "Rotation of the Week" earlier in the season. The Rebels are 10-5 in matches where she hits over .200.
SERVE IT UP
Under head coach Bre Henry, the Rebels are priding themselves on their desire to be a strong service team, with early results showing tremendous improvement.
Shayla Meyer leads the team with a career-high 34 aces so far in 2024, which ranks fourth in a single season at Ole Miss in the rally scoring era. In addition, Nia Washington reached the 20-ace threshold on Oct. 30, Emma Ammerman reached the mark on Nov. 8 and Mokihana Tufono reached it on Nov. 30. Three other players have at least 10 or more service aces this season.
The Rebels tie much of their success to the service game and are 16-3 when they record more aces than their opponent so far this season. On the flip side, in all but four matches they have lost, the Rebels have tallied more than 10 service errors. Additionally, they have lost five of the seven matches with their highest service error totals.
Those metrics were confirmed further on Oct. 30, when the Rebels held Auburn to zero service aces, which was the first time they have held an SEC opponent to zero aces since November 27, 2021 against Alabama.
FAMILY AFFAIR
Blocking runs in the Ratliff family. In five years, Ole Miss middle blocker Sasha Ratliff has established herself as the top blocker in program history, ranking first all-time across all eras with 507 total blocks, ranking first in the rally scoring era in block assists with 405 and tied for first in solo blocks with 102. A dominant force at the net, Ratliff became just the second Rebel in program history to record four, 100-block seasons on November 24, joining Julie Link (1983-86). Her knack for blocking comes from her father, Theo, who was a shot blocker too. One of basketball's best, he ranks 20th in NBA history with nearly 2,000 blocks in his 16-year career.
CLIMBING THE LADDER
Several Rebels are poised to etch their names in the all-time record books in 2024 across multiple different metrics.
Sasha Ratliff and Payton Brgoch will officially end their careers at No. 1 and No. 2 on the all-time blocks list (rally scoring era). Ratliff (507) has taken the No. 1 spot, while Brgoch sits at No. 2 (466). Additionally, Ratliff and Brgoch also rank first and fourth respectively on the combined blocks list.
Junior libero Cammy Niesen continues to rewrite the record books on the defensive side, breaking the single-match program record for digs with 39 against Arkansas and by rising up the top-10 all-time in the rally scoring era. Niesen stands at 1,385 career digs, which ranks third all-time in program history. Niesen needs 70 digs to pass Caroline Adams and move into second place.
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Volleyball on X at @OleMissVB, on Instagram at @olemissvb and on Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball. See exclusive photo and video content from behind the scenes and connect in real time with everything Ole Miss.
The Rebels (18-11, 7-9 SEC) are fresh off their first ranked win since 2021 and first-ever NCAA Tournament victory over No. 21 Florida State, while the second-seeded Bluejays (30-2, 18-0 Big East) earned a 3-0 victory over South Dakota in round one.
RALLY POINTS
- The Rebels enter the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history following their first ever NCAA Tournament win over No. 21 Florida State on Thursday.
- The Rebels make their second NCAA appearance in Omaha, after facing Creighton in the 2021 tournament.
- Junior outside hitter Nia Washington took home All-SEC First Team honors on Saturday, becoming the first Rebel since Sasha Ratliff in 2022 to earn an honor. Cammy Niesen was also named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year.
- Payton Brgoch saved one of her biggest matches for last, tallying a career-high 19 kills and eight blocks against Florida State. Her previous career-high came in the Rebels last win over a ranked opponent (#15 Western Kentucky, 2021).
- Niesen now stands at 1,385 career digs, with the total ranking third all-time at Ole Miss and just 70 away from sole possession of second.
- The service game has become critical for the Rebels to have success this season, as the team is 16-3 overall when they tally more service aces than their opponent.
SERIES HISTORY
- For the second time in the three all-time meetings, the Rebels will meet the Bluejays in the NCAA Tournament.
- The last meeting between the two sides came in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, as the Bluejays won a 3-0 decision. Payton Brgoch, Bailee Middleton and Sasha Ratliff are holdovers from the last meeting, with Ratliff recording seven kills in the game to lead the group.
LAST TIME OUT
The Rebels made history on Thursday night, defeating No. 21 Florida State for their first ever NCAA Tournament win and first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 15 Western Kentucky in 2021.
Payton Brgoch led the way with a career-high 19 kills, along with eight blocks and a .500 hitting percentage. Sasha Ratliff also made history, becoming the program's all-time leader in total blocks across all eras, tallying nine in the win. Mokihana Tufono matched her career-high with 59 assists, while Shayla Meyer added a double-double of 13 kills and 16 digs in the win.
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
Ole Miss enters the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history after the win over Florida State on Thursday. It's the fifth overall appearance for the Rebels in the tournament. Previously, the Rebels have competed in the 2021, 2010, 2007 and 2006 tournaments, falling in the first round at Creighton, vs. North Carolina, vs. BYU and at USC, respectively.
This event marks the second time for the Rebels in Omaha after a 3-0 loss to the Bluejays in 2021.
SEC HONORS
Nia Washington and Cammy Niesen each etched their names in the Ole Miss record books, as both took home honors from the SEC's annual awards.
Washington took home All-SEC First Team honors, becoming the 19th Rebel to earn All-SEC honors and the first since Sasha Ratliff in 2022. Her breakout campaign helped the Rebels emerge with an NCAA Tournament berth and her kills per set in the SEC play ranked fifth in the conference.
Cammy Niesen was named the SEC's Scholar Athlete of the Year, becoming the first Rebel to win the award since its inception in 2003. Niesen developed a reputation as one of the best liberos in the conference, while maintaining a 3.81 GPA and pursuing a chemical engineering degree.
CALL ON THE VETS
While the Rebels are making their first NCAA appearance since 2021, there are still holdovers from the last squad that made it, as Payton Brgoch, Sasha Ratliff and Bailee Middleton all competed in the program's last NCAA match against Creighton in Omaha.
Ratliff played in all three sets, recording seven kills and a block, while Brgoch played in two sets, tallying three kills and a block. Middleton also appeared in one set against the Bluejays.
The most experienced NCAA competitor on the roster is Emma Ammerman, who competed in four NCAA matches during her time at Pepperdine. Ammerman was a career .226 hitter with 18 kills, four blocks, two assists and two digs, recording 20.5 points for the Waves.
RISING STAR
Nia Washington enters the tournament in a breakout junior season that has culminated in her earning All-SEC First Team honors for the first time in her career.
Washington has become a lethal hitter in SEC play, averaging 4.42 kills per set, compared to her 3.84 kills per set average this season. The New Orleans native has seven, 20-kill matches in her last 14 contests, headlined by a 32-kill explosion on November 17 against Mississippi State and culminating in a 30-kill performance in a near upset of No. 14 Texas in Austin.
Her play has also gained her recognition nationally, when she named to NCAA Volleyball's "Rotation of the Week" earlier in the season. The Rebels are 10-5 in matches where she hits over .200.
SERVE IT UP
Under head coach Bre Henry, the Rebels are priding themselves on their desire to be a strong service team, with early results showing tremendous improvement.
Shayla Meyer leads the team with a career-high 34 aces so far in 2024, which ranks fourth in a single season at Ole Miss in the rally scoring era. In addition, Nia Washington reached the 20-ace threshold on Oct. 30, Emma Ammerman reached the mark on Nov. 8 and Mokihana Tufono reached it on Nov. 30. Three other players have at least 10 or more service aces this season.
The Rebels tie much of their success to the service game and are 16-3 when they record more aces than their opponent so far this season. On the flip side, in all but four matches they have lost, the Rebels have tallied more than 10 service errors. Additionally, they have lost five of the seven matches with their highest service error totals.
Those metrics were confirmed further on Oct. 30, when the Rebels held Auburn to zero service aces, which was the first time they have held an SEC opponent to zero aces since November 27, 2021 against Alabama.
FAMILY AFFAIR
Blocking runs in the Ratliff family. In five years, Ole Miss middle blocker Sasha Ratliff has established herself as the top blocker in program history, ranking first all-time across all eras with 507 total blocks, ranking first in the rally scoring era in block assists with 405 and tied for first in solo blocks with 102. A dominant force at the net, Ratliff became just the second Rebel in program history to record four, 100-block seasons on November 24, joining Julie Link (1983-86). Her knack for blocking comes from her father, Theo, who was a shot blocker too. One of basketball's best, he ranks 20th in NBA history with nearly 2,000 blocks in his 16-year career.
CLIMBING THE LADDER
Several Rebels are poised to etch their names in the all-time record books in 2024 across multiple different metrics.
Sasha Ratliff and Payton Brgoch will officially end their careers at No. 1 and No. 2 on the all-time blocks list (rally scoring era). Ratliff (507) has taken the No. 1 spot, while Brgoch sits at No. 2 (466). Additionally, Ratliff and Brgoch also rank first and fourth respectively on the combined blocks list.
Junior libero Cammy Niesen continues to rewrite the record books on the defensive side, breaking the single-match program record for digs with 39 against Arkansas and by rising up the top-10 all-time in the rally scoring era. Niesen stands at 1,385 career digs, which ranks third all-time in program history. Niesen needs 70 digs to pass Caroline Adams and move into second place.
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Volleyball on X at @OleMissVB, on Instagram at @olemissvb and on Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball. See exclusive photo and video content from behind the scenes and connect in real time with everything Ole Miss.
Players Mentioned
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