The Ole Miss Volleyball team started out conference play with a sweep of the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sunday, Sept 27.
Ole Miss entered this matchup on a three-game losing streak. After defeats by Memphis, Kansas, and Grand Canyon, the Rebels finished nonconference play with a 6-5 record.
The first set began as a back-and-forth contest. Neither team was able to claim a lead of more than two until a kill by Jorda Crook put the Rebels up 13-10.
In just her second game of the season, Rebel middle blocker Keirstyn Carlton made her presence known early. She recorded two kills and two blocks in the first set.
A 12-3 run put the Rebels in full control of the set. Two sensational blocks by Carlton served as the exclamation points of the run. Ole Miss took the first set, 25-17.
The Rebels rode this momentum and took a 6-2 lead in the second set. Carlton, Crook and Melia Johnson put together a series of kills, forcing the Crimson Tide to make substitutions.
After the substitutions, Alabama rallied back and took an 8-7 lead. After sloppy defense by the Rebels, Ole Miss head coach Bre Henry also made substitutions.
Stellar offense by Crook and poor offense from the Crimson Tide gave the Rebels a 15-10 lead going into the media timeout.
Ole Miss never let Alabama regain control of the set. Crook, Johnson and Shayla Meyer were dominant on both sides of the ball. Crook was all over the place for Ole Miss, recording five kills and a block during the set. The Rebels won the set, 25-19.
The Crimson Tide fought back at the beginning of the third set, taking advantage of Rebel errors to build a lead. However, throughout the match, Alabama struggled to get anything going offensively and largely relied on Ole Miss’ miscues for points. The Crimson Tide finished the afternoon with an abysmal -0.022 hitting percentage.
Strong serving from Ole Miss’ Vivianna Samaniego and a few Crimson Tide errors put the Rebels within three about halfway through the set. After a Samaniego service error, Alabama won a point on a kill from setter Hannah Parant.
Meyer demonstrated her veteran poise, helping Ole Miss take control of serve back while Alabama led 19-16.
Libero Cameron Bradley, a leader of the team, won four consecutive service points to help the Rebels retake the lead. While she committed a service error to tie the set back up at 20, her defense throughout the entire match and poise when serving in crunch time were critical.
Facing a 20-23 deficit, Johnson recorded back-to-back kills, reducing the lead to one. Crook then recorded back-to-back service aces, and an Alabama attack error sealed the match for the Rebels, 25-23.
What’s next?
Ole Miss will host the Missouri Tigers on Friday, Oct. 2. ESPN+ will broadcast the game.
