The University of Mississippi Athletics

Friday, October 17
Columbia, Mo.
7 PM

Ole Miss

at

Missouri

Tessa Jones_Tennessee_10.12

Volleyball Set for Key Road Match at Missouri

10/16/2025 | Volleyball

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Ole Miss volleyball program is set for an important road swing, beginning with a battle at Missouri on Friday at 7 p.m. CT.
 
The Rebels (9-8, 1-5 SEC) will face off against the Tigers (10-7, 2-4 SEC) on SEC Network Plus and at the Hearns Center.
 
RALLY POINTS
  • The Rebels face another key SEC test, matching up with Missouri in Columbia.
  • Friday's match features two of the top-10 active leaders in digs in the nation and the top two liberos in the SEC, as Cammy Niesen faces off with Missouri's Maya Sands.
  • Junior Gabi Placide has made an immediate impact since coming to Oxford, ranking second in the SEC in kills (286) and points (326.0). Placide was added to the AVCA Player of the Year Watch List for her efforts.
  • Cammy Niesen broke the Rebels all-time digs record against Auburn, breaking a 14-year-old mark held by Morgan Springer. Niesen's attention now turns to the SEC all-time top-10, where she needs 87 to break in.
  • Ole Miss is 6-2 when freshman Carly Paugh gets five or more kills and 3-6 when she does not.
  • Freshman Keirstyn Carlton has gotten off to a hot start in SEC play, ranking sixth in the SEC in conference play hitting percentage .379. She is the highest ranked freshman in the top-10.
SERIES HISTORY
  • Ole Miss and Missouri are facing off for just the 26th time in series history, with the Tigers holding a 15-11 advantage in the ledger. The Rebels have claimed five of the last seven matchups against the Tigers beginning in 2021, with the first three resulting in sweeps.
  • The Rebels and Tigers first faced off in 1980. That decade, the two teams faced off six times, with the Rebels claiming the last two in 1989. That season, all-time Rebel Mary Ahern recorded 28 kills against Missouri, which served as the second-most by any Rebel in a single game by the end of the season.
  • Missouri took last season's matchup in a five-setter, but the mainstay of returners each had solid matches. Cammy Niesen had 33 digs, which was her second-most in a single match as a junior. It's also tied for the fifth-most digs in a single match in the rally scoring era. Shayla Meyer had a double-double of 10 kills and 14 digs, while Mokihana Tufono had 46 assists.
LAST TIME OUT
The Rebels dropped a brief return to the Gillom Athletics Performance Center, falling 3-0 to No. 17 Tennessee on Sunday afternoon. The Rebels were unable to hold off the Lady Vols, despite a solid day from Shayla Meyer, who tallied 10 kills on .304 hitting. Keirstyn Carlton turned in another strong effort up the middle with eight kills, while Melia Johnson came off the bench in the third set to tally six kills on .333 hitting.

CAN YOU DIG IT?
Senior libero Cammy Niesen made history on Sunday, smashing the program's all-eras dig record that stood for 14 years (by Morgan Springer). The 2024 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year has been a model of consistency her entire career and is now poised to add to her all-time lead as SEC play continues.

Niesen has quietly emerged as one of the best liberos in the SEC over her dynamic career as she closes in on the all-time SEC top-10. Niesen is 87 away from entering the top-10 in conference history.

Last season, Niesen led the SEC in total digs with 537, which also ranked 33rd in the nation. This season, Niesen continues to impact the game, ranking second in the SEC in digs per set (4.27).

In fact, Niesen ranks sixth in the NCAA on the active digs leaderboard with 1,668.

Active Leaders
1. Emma Hickey, Valparaiso - 2,455
2. Maya Sands, Missouri - 1,791
3. Lauren Lindseth, Montana State - 1,775
4. Emma Farrell, Wake Forest - 1,696
5. Campbell Jensen, UC Irvine - 1,685
6. Cammy Niesen, Ole Miss - 1,668
7. LonDynn Betts, West Virginia - 1,648
8. Ella Voegele, St. Thomas - 1,609
9. Breanna Mitchell, Boise State - 1,582
    Kamryn Farris, South Dakota - 1,582
 
AT EASE WITH PLACIDE
Gabi Placide has become the SEC's breakout star since arriving in Oxford this season and will be a critical part of the Rebels lineup as SEC play begins.

Placide has surged to the forefront of the national rankings, ranking second in the SEC with 326.0 points and 286 kills, ranking 17th and 21st nationally, respectively. The Centennial, Colo., native also ranks 14th nationally in points per set and 17th nationally in kills per set.

Her efforts earned her a mid-season addition to the AVCA's Player of the Year Watch List. Placide also recently took home SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors following back-to-back career-highs in wins over Texas Tech and UAlbany and hit over .300 for the weekend. Placide also showed off her athleticism with 22 digs and 11.0 blocks to go alongside 71 kills.
 
MOKI MAGIC
Setter Mokihana Tufono was named to the All-SEC Preseason Team after a dynamic junior season and has only elevated her game in year two as a Rebel. Depsite some recent struggles by the Rebels, Tufono continues to be a bright spot, leading the SEC in total assists at 661 and ranking 15th nationally.

Tufono has been the catalyst for Gabi Placide's breakout campaign as a pin and has recorded two, 50-assist matches this season. Additionally, Tufono has taken strides on the defensive end, recording the first 40-assist, 20-dig match of her career at Mississippi State, exploding for 47 assists and a career-high 22 digs. Tufono's huge two seasons at Ole Miss have landed her in the top-10 all-time as a Rebel.
 
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS
Throughout the entirety of the 2025 season, Ole Miss athletics and the volleyball program will honor and recognize many who have contributed to the success and legacy of the program over 50 years of volleyball.

The program has tallied over 800 wins, reached five NCAA Tournaments and won the 2017 NIVC championship. Nineteen student-athletes have earned All-SEC honors, 16 have earned AVCA All-Region and three have been named All-Americans as the program has blossomed over generations of standout student-athletes.

The success of the program has built on the foundation of countless student-athletes who have gone on to earn a degree from the University of Mississippi and take their talents throughout the world.

CLIMBING THE LADDER
Several Rebels are poised to etch their names in the all-time record books in 2025 across multiple different metrics.

In addition to clinching the all-eras digs record at Ole Miss, Cammy Niesen is also poised to enter the top-10 all-time in service aces, with 66 in her career. That stands just three outside the rally scoring era's top-10. Shayla Meyer also has her sights on the same list, standing at 65 service aces and is just four away from the top-10 across two and a half seasons of action.
 
Mokihana Tufono continues her rapid ascent of the assists charts in her short time at Ole Miss. Tufono currently sits fifth all-time in the rally scoring era with 1,834 and 10th across all eras, despite only playing just 45 matches as a Rebel.
 
Fans can continue to show support for the Rebels by joining the ACE Club. Funds from the ACE Club are a major component in helping the Ole Miss volleyball program compete at the highest level. For more information and to donate, click here.
 
Ole Miss volleyball is hosting Grove Grocery can drives this season at all home matches. Bring a canned good with you to the Marketing Table and receive 100 bonus Rebel Rewards points as a thank you for giving back to the Oxford community.
 
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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Sunday, October 19
HIGHLIGHTS: VB at Missouri
Friday, October 17
HIGHLIGHTS: Volleyball vs. Tennessee (10/12/25)
Sunday, October 12
HIGHLIGHTS: VB at Mississippi State
Friday, October 10