With just a couple of weeks before the 2024 volleyball season starts up for the Rebels, here is a look at the first three games of the season and an important rule change.
NCAA volleyball players will have to adapt to a new rule this season. Players are allowed to make contact with the ball twice if they are passing it to a teammate, rather than once.
Ole Miss will start its season with an exhibition game against North Alabama on Saturday, Aug. 24 in the Gillom Center. While this game will not count toward their record, the Rebels can still get some playing time at home.
Arkansas State Invitational:
The Rebels will travel to Jonesboro, Ark., to play in the Arkansas State Invitational for their first official games of the season.
These games will take place from Friday, Aug. 30 through Sunday, Sept. 2.
Ole Miss will play Saint Louis University, Arkansas State University and Southeastern Missouri State University. The first game for the Rebels will be on Friday, Aug. 30 at 10 a.m. against Saint Louis. The Rebels will play game two against Arkansas State on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. and game three against Southeastern Missouri on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 11 a.m.
Ole Miss hopes to start its season on the right foot after suffering a losing season in 2023, going 11-18 overall and 5-13 in conference play.
However, the other three schools in this invitational had better records in the 2023 season. Arkansas State and Southeastern Missouri both had winning records and Saint Louis had an even record of 16-16. While this may be a challenge for the Rebels, it would be a great start to jump out to 3-0 on the road.
With that in mind, here are some Rebel players to keep an eye out for this upcoming season.
Standout players:
Outside hitter Julia Dyess has put up some impressive statistics in her three seasons at Ole Miss. In 2023, she was one of four Rebels to reach the 200 kill mark.
Dyess also recorded her most blocks in a single game in her career at five in her 2023 season-opener against St. Johns.
Middle blocker Payton Brgoch is a big addition to the roster, as she was labeled as one of the best players at her position in the conference in the 2023 season. Brgoch has had over 100 blocks in two seasons. Like Dyess, Brgoch also recorded 200 kills in the 2023 season.
