Ole Miss Volleyball went on the road this weekend to face both the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Missouri Tigers, starting with the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Ark.
The No. 12 Razorbacks have been dominant all year thus far, starting with a 15-2 overall record (5-0 SEC) before facing the Rebels on Friday, Oct. 13. Unfortunately, their winning streak continued, and the Razorbacks quickly swept Ole Miss, giving the Rebels their fourth loss in a row.
Yet again, the Rebel offense struggled. The offense only achieved a .180 hitting percentage through the three sets, while Arkansas hit for .355. Higher hitting percentage almost always equates to more points and kills, and Friday’s loss was no exception.
The Razorbacks had 17 more total kills than the Rebels and only 11 errors compared to Ole Miss’ 14. There is little else to be said for the loss on Friday, but the Rebels showed improvement in their loss to Missouri.
The Missouri Tigers hosted the Rebels on Sunday, Oct. 15 in Columbia, Mo. In probably the most competitive match of the year for the Rebels, they took it all the way to five sets, but they ultimately came up short and lost 3-2 to the Tigers.
If only a little, the Rebels’ offense improved from the previous game, earning a .191 hitting percentage. The Tigers still out hit Ole Miss with a .251 hitting percentage, and they had 15 more overall kills than the Rebels.
However, one area in particular did shine on Sunday for the Rebels, and it was the serves. Ole Miss hit an astounding 12 aces on the Tigers as opposed to their five. Serving has been one of the more lackluster areas of the offense thus far, so it was a positive sign to see it improved nearing the end of the season.
Senior outside hitter Anna Bair was the highlight for the Rebels in their loss to the Missouri Tigers. She earned 13 total kills as well as five blocks — an impressive feat for an outside hitter.
The Lady Rebels hope to get hot as they prepare to go on the road again this week to face both of the SEC Bulldogs. They will first travel to Athens, Ga., on Wednesday, then head to Starkville, Miss., to face rivals Mississippi State on Sunday. Both matches will be streamed on SEC Network.
