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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, September 20
Houston, Texas
7 PM
Ole Miss
3
at
2
Houston
Photo by: Ole Miss Athletics
Washington Powers Volleyball Past Houston at Cougar Challenge
9/20/2024 | Volleyball
HOUSTON – A career-high 18 kills from Nia Washington helped Ole Miss volleyball extend its longest winning streak in the budding Bre Henry era, with six straight victories, as the Rebels defeated Houston, 3-2, in the first match of the Cougar Challenge.
The New Orleans, Louisiana, native put on a show against the Cougars, coming off the bench to tally 18 kills on a .311 hitting percentage. Mokihana Tufono grabbed her fourth double-double of the season, leading the Rebels on both sides of the court with 45 assists and 20 digs. Along with Tufono, Shayla Meyer continued her hot streak, securing her third double-double in the past four matches with a dozen kills and digs apiece. Payton Brgoch also came alive for Ole Miss, leading both teams with five blocks and a season-high 14 kills alongside a .684 hitting clip.
After a slow start, the Rebels found themselves in an early 14-1 hole. Not giving up, two big swings from Brgoch and an ace from Washington helped pull Ole Miss closer at 19-9. Despite some strong fight from the Rebels, the Cougars managed to close out the set on a 6-1 run and take the first, 25-10.
Ole Miss regrouped and responded, opening the next set with a 10-4 run behind a couple of big blocks by Brgoch and Cammy Niesen's 1000th career dig. The Cougars were able to put a dent into their deficit, but four kills from Washington gave the Rebels their largest lead of the match at 20-11. Taking advantage of a few service errors, Ole Miss inched within one of securing the set before a Meyer kill finished it off for the Rebels, 25-17.
Trailing 4-1 to start the third set, Ole Miss didn't back down and tied things back up at eight after an ace from Tufono. Both teams continued to trade points throughout the set behind a career-night from Washington, who strung together five of her 18 kills on the night. With the Cougars holding the slight 22-21 lead, a Rebel service error and two service aces gave Houston the set, 25-21.
Looking to keep the match alive, Ole Miss jumped out to an early, 8-4 lead. Trading points until it was 17-17, the Rebels took advantage of Cougar errors to go on a 6-1 run. Ole Miss never relinquished the lead the rest of the set, as Washington brought down the hammer, seeing the Rebels to a 25-20 win after notching the final kill to force the fifth.
Tied at two sets apiece after dropping the first and third, the Rebels locked in to take down the hosts on their home court. Back-and-forth action kept both teams tied at eight, until a Meyer kill sparked the way for Ole Miss. A service ace by Sommer Daniel combined with four kills from three different Rebels, including the final dagger from Brgoch, capped off the set 15-10 and the thriller victory for the Rebels, 3-2.
Ole Miss rounds out its non-conference slate on Saturday, facing off against Tennessee State and Texas A&M Commerce at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. CT, respectively.
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 New Orleans, Louisiana, native put on a show against the Cougars, coming off the bench to tally 18 kills on a .311 hitting percentage. Mokihana Tufono grabbed her fourth double-double of the season, leading the Rebels on both sides of the court with 45 assists and 20 digs. Along with Tufono, Shayla Meyer continued her hot streak, securing her third double-double in the past four matches with a dozen kills and digs apiece. Payton Brgoch also came alive for Ole Miss, leading both teams with five blocks and a season-high 14 kills alongside a .684 hitting clip.
After a slow start, the Rebels found themselves in an early 14-1 hole. Not giving up, two big swings from Brgoch and an ace from Washington helped pull Ole Miss closer at 19-9. Despite some strong fight from the Rebels, the Cougars managed to close out the set on a 6-1 run and take the first, 25-10.
Ole Miss regrouped and responded, opening the next set with a 10-4 run behind a couple of big blocks by Brgoch and Cammy Niesen's 1000th career dig. The Cougars were able to put a dent into their deficit, but four kills from Washington gave the Rebels their largest lead of the match at 20-11. Taking advantage of a few service errors, Ole Miss inched within one of securing the set before a Meyer kill finished it off for the Rebels, 25-17.
Trailing 4-1 to start the third set, Ole Miss didn't back down and tied things back up at eight after an ace from Tufono. Both teams continued to trade points throughout the set behind a career-night from Washington, who strung together five of her 18 kills on the night. With the Cougars holding the slight 22-21 lead, a Rebel service error and two service aces gave Houston the set, 25-21.
Looking to keep the match alive, Ole Miss jumped out to an early, 8-4 lead. Trading points until it was 17-17, the Rebels took advantage of Cougar errors to go on a 6-1 run. Ole Miss never relinquished the lead the rest of the set, as Washington brought down the hammer, seeing the Rebels to a 25-20 win after notching the final kill to force the fifth.
Tied at two sets apiece after dropping the first and third, the Rebels locked in to take down the hosts on their home court. Back-and-forth action kept both teams tied at eight, until a Meyer kill sparked the way for Ole Miss. A service ace by Sommer Daniel combined with four kills from three different Rebels, including the final dagger from Brgoch, capped off the set 15-10 and the thriller victory for the Rebels, 3-2.
Ole Miss rounds out its non-conference slate on Saturday, facing off against Tennessee State and Texas A&M Commerce at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. CT, respectively.
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.
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