.png&width=48&height=48&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, September 26
Fayetteville, Ark.
7 PM
Ole Miss
at
Arkansas
SEC Play Begins as Volleyball Faces Arkansas
9/25/2025 | Volleyball
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Ole Miss volleyball program enters the beginning of SEC play on the road, traveling to Arkansas for a Friday night clash.
The Rebels (8-3, 0-0 SEC) will face off against the Razorbacks (4-7, 0-0 SEC) in a 7 p.m. CT matchup. The match will be streamed via SEC Network Plus.
RALLY POINTS
The Rebels wrapped up a dominant weekend at the Red Raider Classic, going 3-0 overall and concluding with a four-set win over UAlbany. The Rebels were led by the play of Gabi Placide, who hit over .300 for the weekend, tallying 71 kills and 6.45 per set. It also marked a breakout weekend for Keirstyn Carlton, who tallied back-to-back seven block performances. Shayla Meyer added 44 kills on .277 hitting.
CAN YOU DIG IT?
Senior libero Cammy Niesen enters her final collegiate season with eyes on not only setting, but ultimately smashing the program's all-eras dig record. The 2024 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year has been a model of consistency her entire career and stands just 62 digs away from setting a new record that is currently held by Morgan Springer.
Niesen has quietly emerged as one of the best liberos in the SEC over her dynamic career. 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 third in the SEC in digs per set (4.27).
In fact, Niesen ranks seventh in the NCAA on the active digs leaderboard with 1,570.
Active Leaders
1. Emma Hickey, Valparaiso - 2,323
2. Maya Sands, Missouri - 1,709
3. Lauren Lindseth, Montana State - 1,681
4. Emma Farrell, Wake Forest - 1,599
5. Campbell Jensen, UC Irvine - 1,583
6. LonDynn Betts, West Virginia - 1,577
7. Cammy Niesen, Ole Miss - 1,570
8. Ella Voegele, St. Thomas - 1,535
9. Breanna Mitchell, Boise State - 1,488
10. Kamryn Farris, South Dakota - 1,486
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, leading the SEC with 223.5 points and ranking 13th nationally. The Centennial, Colo., native also ranks ninth nationally in points per set and ranks in the top-15 in the nation in kills (194) and kills per set (4.73).
Placide 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.
FILLING THE VOID
While the Rebels have had to replace much of their offensive attack from 2024, several newcomers have immediately stepped up. They are led by transfer Gabi Placide, who surged to 194 kills and a .261 hitting percentage through her first 11 matches and already ranks second in the SEC and 15th nationally in total kills. Redshirt freshman Melia Johnson has also shined, opening her college career with 10 or more kills in four of her first seven matches.
HONORED BY THE SEC
Setter Mokihana Tufono, who turned heads in her debut season in Oxford, was named to the All-SEC Preseason Team earlier this offseason. Tufono, who started her collegiate career at UCLA, developed into one of the top setters in the conference under head coach Bre Henry, earning AVCA All-South Region honors and recording 1,173 assists in 2024. Tufono also notched 286 digs, 60.0 total blocks, 43 kills and 21 service aces.
This season, Tufono continues to excel, ranking 10th in the nation in assists per set at 10.61 and has tallied two 50-assist matches. Her recent play earned a spot in the NCAA's 'Rotation of the Week'.
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 her pursuit of 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 57 service aces and is just 12 away from the top-10 across just over two seasons of action.
Mokihana Tufono continues her rapid ascent of the assists charts in her short time at Ole Miss. Tufono currently sits eighth all-time in the rally scoring era with 1,608 and 15th across all eras, despite only playing just 39 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.
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 (8-3, 0-0 SEC) will face off against the Razorbacks (4-7, 0-0 SEC) in a 7 p.m. CT matchup. The match will be streamed via SEC Network Plus.
RALLY POINTS
- The Rebels open SEC play at Arkansas on Friday. It marks the second straight season the Rebels have opened conference play against Arkansas.
- The Rebel freshmen and redshirt freshmen have stepped up in their first collegiate action, accounting for 166 of the team's 532 kills (31.2 percent).
- The Rebels offense is finding its groove, hitting .273 over the last seven matches after starting with a .183 hitting percentage through the first four.
- Ole Miss remains undefeated when hitting over .150 this season. All three losses have come when the team falls under the threshold.
- Niesen now stands at 1,570 career digs, with the total ranking second all-time at Ole Miss and just 62 away from the all-time record.
- Junior Gabi Placide has made an immediate impact since coming to Oxford, ranking second in the SEC with 194 kills and leading the SEC in points with 223.5 through the first few weeks of the season.
- For the second year in a row, Ole Miss will open its conference slate against the Arkansas Razorbacks. The two programs split last season's series, taking one match apiece. Overall, Arkansas holds a 43-16 advantage in a series that dates to 1994.
- The Rebels dropped the meeting in Fayetteville last season, 3-0, but came back when the series came to Oxford with a 3-1 victory, snapping an eight-match winning streak in the series for the Razorbacks. In that match, Cammy Niesen made Ole Miss history by recording a program record 39 digs, besting the previous high across all eras of volleyball of 37. Shayla Meyer had 12 kills to help offensively and Mokihana Tufono set a career-high five kills alongside 43 assists.
The Rebels wrapped up a dominant weekend at the Red Raider Classic, going 3-0 overall and concluding with a four-set win over UAlbany. The Rebels were led by the play of Gabi Placide, who hit over .300 for the weekend, tallying 71 kills and 6.45 per set. It also marked a breakout weekend for Keirstyn Carlton, who tallied back-to-back seven block performances. Shayla Meyer added 44 kills on .277 hitting.
CAN YOU DIG IT?
Senior libero Cammy Niesen enters her final collegiate season with eyes on not only setting, but ultimately smashing the program's all-eras dig record. The 2024 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year has been a model of consistency her entire career and stands just 62 digs away from setting a new record that is currently held by Morgan Springer.
Niesen has quietly emerged as one of the best liberos in the SEC over her dynamic career. 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 third in the SEC in digs per set (4.27).
In fact, Niesen ranks seventh in the NCAA on the active digs leaderboard with 1,570.
Active Leaders
1. Emma Hickey, Valparaiso - 2,323
2. Maya Sands, Missouri - 1,709
3. Lauren Lindseth, Montana State - 1,681
4. Emma Farrell, Wake Forest - 1,599
5. Campbell Jensen, UC Irvine - 1,583
6. LonDynn Betts, West Virginia - 1,577
7. Cammy Niesen, Ole Miss - 1,570
8. Ella Voegele, St. Thomas - 1,535
9. Breanna Mitchell, Boise State - 1,488
10. Kamryn Farris, South Dakota - 1,486
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, leading the SEC with 223.5 points and ranking 13th nationally. The Centennial, Colo., native also ranks ninth nationally in points per set and ranks in the top-15 in the nation in kills (194) and kills per set (4.73).
Placide 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.
FILLING THE VOID
While the Rebels have had to replace much of their offensive attack from 2024, several newcomers have immediately stepped up. They are led by transfer Gabi Placide, who surged to 194 kills and a .261 hitting percentage through her first 11 matches and already ranks second in the SEC and 15th nationally in total kills. Redshirt freshman Melia Johnson has also shined, opening her college career with 10 or more kills in four of her first seven matches.
HONORED BY THE SEC
Setter Mokihana Tufono, who turned heads in her debut season in Oxford, was named to the All-SEC Preseason Team earlier this offseason. Tufono, who started her collegiate career at UCLA, developed into one of the top setters in the conference under head coach Bre Henry, earning AVCA All-South Region honors and recording 1,173 assists in 2024. Tufono also notched 286 digs, 60.0 total blocks, 43 kills and 21 service aces.
This season, Tufono continues to excel, ranking 10th in the nation in assists per set at 10.61 and has tallied two 50-assist matches. Her recent play earned a spot in the NCAA's 'Rotation of the Week'.
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 her pursuit of 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 57 service aces and is just 12 away from the top-10 across just over two seasons of action.
Mokihana Tufono continues her rapid ascent of the assists charts in her short time at Ole Miss. Tufono currently sits eighth all-time in the rally scoring era with 1,608 and 15th across all eras, despite only playing just 39 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.
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
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ VolleyballShayla Meyer 500th Kill at Arkansas
Saturday, September 27
HIGHLIGHTS: VB at Arkansas
Friday, September 26
HIGHLIGHTS: Gabi Placide vs. UAlbany (Career High 27 Kills)
Saturday, September 20
HIGHLIGHTS: VB vs UAlbany
Saturday, September 20