For Ole Miss volleyball, this weekend brings three teams into town and a chance for redemption.
Northwestern State, Austin Peay and Mercer are traveling to Oxford for the Ole Miss Classic, where the Rebels look to flip their momentum after two tough losses against Southern Methodist University and Arkansas State in the Arkansas State Invitational last weekend.
Northwestern State has won two straight and three of its last four after starting the season 0-3. Juniors Reagan Rogers and Channing Burleson lead the team in its third year behind head coach Sean Kiracofe. This is its first year back in the Southland Conference after a one-year absence, and Kiracofe has continued to build a competitive team.
With a sweep of Jackson State on Saturday at the Troy Invitational, Northwestern State secured its first winning record in a tournament since 2014. After dropping their opening match to Winthrop in five, the Lady Demons beat Troy 3-0 Friday. Rogers averages 3.22 kills per set. The Demons should provide a challenge for Ole Miss as they look to pull an upset Thursday on Ole Miss’ home floor.
In the second of the three-game stretch, the 6-1 Austin Peay Governors look to be the most formidable opponent of the weekend, and the Thursday night matchup should provide a measuring stick for the team before it begins SEC play.
Austin Peay won the UAB Invitational this past weekend to improve to 6-1 on the year, and the Governors equaled their best start in program history with wins against Georgia State, UAB and Western Illinois. Led by senior Ashley Slay, who is hitting a .317 while totaling 126 kills on the right side, they will definitely be coming out firing with another chance to prove themselves against an SEC opponent.
But the Rebels will need to sustain their mental and physical energy from front to back if they want to walk out with a win.
“They have a win over Missouri, co-champions of our league last year, so that will be a great test for us,” head coach Steven McRoberts said. “It’s another opportunity to get a good win in our non-conference.”
Ole Miss concludes the weekend against the Mercer Bears at 6 p.m. Friday. Mercer is 3-2 after starting the season with two losses. Senior Lexi Thompson looks to add to her career total of 40 double-doubles and season total of six double-doubles, while sophomore Emily Stroup is aiming for her second straight all-tournament team after being named to the all-tournament team last weekend.
“I am really proud of her and the way she has grown as a player from freshman to sophomore year,” McRoberts said on Stroup’s performance in Arkansas.
Ole Miss will play Northwestern State at 11 a.m. Thursday before taking on Austin Peay in the 7 p.m. nightcap and Mercer at 6 p.m. Friday to close out the weekend. The Rebels then finish their non-conference schedule next week by traveling to Greely, Colorado, and Orlando, Florida, before SEC play starts against Auburn on Sept. 22 at home.
