The Rebels played in the Troy Preseason Tournament to kick off the 2021 Ole Miss Women’s Volleyball season. Going 2-0 on the weekend, the Rebels swept Troy University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham in three straight sets.
Statistically, Ole Miss Women’s Volleyball had a little bit of a rocky season last year. Going 1-19 on the season, the Rebels only win came against fellow SEC foe, Louisiana State University.
For the first game of the tournament, the Rebels met with the Troy Trojans. Totalling 36 kills, 42 digs, 33 assists and 15 blocks, Ole Miss began the season by defeating them in three straight sets.
Ole Miss right side hitter Samantha Schnitta elevated her performance during the game against Troy. She not only holds a starting position as a sophomore, but maintains a calm and confident persona that is crucial to the team’s chemistry. She had a total of 10 kills this match, and was dominating Troy’s defensive players with her cross-court shot. Schnitta’s hitting seemed to affect Troy, causing them to serve it out after almost every point.
During the second game of the season against University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Rebels continued their momentum from the day before. Ole Miss secured the win for this match against UAB in another three set victory.
The match began with errors being traded back and forth. Sophomore outside hitter GG Carvacho is proving to be a real threat this season for the Ole Miss offense. She maintained the lead kill score of 12 kills during the match against UAB. The win could not be possible without setter Kylee McLaughlin. She totalled 36 assists throughout this match, and contributed greatly to the success the team’s hitters experienced in kills.
Next up, the Rebels will compete in the Ole Miss Invitational, which will include two matches on Friday, and one on Saturday. To commence the Ole Miss Invitational, the Rebels open up against University of Texas San Antonio at 12 p.m. on Friday.
Following the first match, Ole Miss will face Coastal Carolina at 6:30 p.m.. The Rebels wrap up the weekend against Northwestern State at 2 p.m..
