Ole Miss Drops Five-Set Heartbreaker At Georgia

Four Rebels Finish With Double-Digit Kill Totals, Edie Has Fourth Double-Double

Photo courtesy of Joshua McCoy / Ole Miss Athletics

ATHENS, Ga. – Four Ole Miss Rebels had double-digit kill totals and freshman setter Aubrey Edie recorded her fourth double-double of the season, but the Ole Miss volleyball team lost a heartbreaker 3-2 (25-15, 22-25, 27-25, 23-25, 15-9) at Georgia in Athens, Ga.

“After Friday night’s loss we challenged the team to step up and kind of respond, and they did a good job of being on the road responding and doing what we asked,” Ole Miss head coach Joe Getzin said. “It’s tough to win on the road in the SEC. We put ourselves in position getting to a fifth game, but we kind of let off the gas a little bit down the stretch.”

Sophomore Ty Laporte, who logged a career-high 20 kills last season at Georgia, had a season- and team-high 15 kills Sunday afternoon against the Bulldogs. Freshman Melanie Crow had a season-high 14 kills, and Edie had her fourth double-double while recording career highs in assists (44) and digs (16). Edie finished three kills shy of her first triple-double. Sophomore Nakeyta Clair had 11 kills and a career-high tying three solo blocks, which is tied for the fifth most in a single match in program history. It is the fourth time in her career that Clair has had three solo blocks, and the second time this season. Junior Marie-Pierre Bakima had 11 kills for Ole Miss. It was the fifth time this season that Bakima has finished with 10-or-more kills.

After Georgia (13-3, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) jumped out to a quick lead in the opening set, Ole Miss (10-7, 0-4 SEC) fought back to pull within two points at 13-11. The Bulldogs went on another run soon thereafter though, and claimed the first set by a score of 25-15. Bakima, Crow, Edie and senior Kara Morgan each had three kills in the first set for Ole Miss.

The Rebels showed their fight in the second set. Ole Miss went on a 4-0 run early in the second set to take a 6-3 lead over the home standing Bulldogs. A solo block by Clair later in the set gave Ole Miss its largest lead at 11-6, and caused Georgia head coach Lizzy Stemke to call timeout. Georgia responded out of the timeout by going on a 6-0 run to take a 12-11 lead, but Ole Miss fought back to regain the lead at 19-18. UGA then took the lead again at 22-21, but Ole Miss responded by closing out the set on a 4-0 run fueled by stellar play from Crow and Clair. Crow scored two of the final four points, while Clair scored one and the duo combined for a block assist as Ole Miss won 25-21 to even the match at one set apiece.

Ole Miss used a 5-1 run to take an 11-7 lead in the third set, which caused Georgia to call its first timeout. The Rebels stretched their lead to as many as five points at 12-7, but Georgia didn’t back down and took its first lead of the set at 19-18. After trailing for the first time in the set, Ole Miss went on a 3-0 run to take a 21-19 lead and force Georgia to call its final timeout. The Rebels could not close out Georgia in the set though, and fell 27-25.

Down 6-8 in the fourth set, Ole Miss went on a 4-0 run to take a 10-8 lead and prompt a Georgia timeout. The Rebels then scored six of the next eight points out of the timeout to extend their lead to 16-10 and cause the Bulldogs to use their final timeout of the set. Ole Miss extended its lead to as many as seven points at 19-12, and went on to take the fourth set by a score of 25-23 after Crow notched her season-high 13th kill.

The two teams stayed within two points of each other throughout the first half of the set. With Georgia leading 8-7, the Bulldogs went on a 5-0 run to take a 13-7 lead and won the set 15-9.

Ole Miss will open week seven of the season on the road at LSU on Friday at 7:00 p.m. CT before coming home to the Gillom Sports Center to face South Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 1:30 p.m. CT. Ole Miss lost a tough four-set match in Baton Rouge, La., last season, and swept the Gamecocks 3-0 in both meetings.

For all Ole Miss volleyball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissVB and on Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball.

— Ole Miss Sports Information