Rebels Close Out Volleyball Season with LSU

Ole Miss to honor Kellie Goss, Kara Morgan following match

Photo by Joshu McCoy / Ole Miss Athletics

OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss volleyball team will close out its 2013 season Wednesday when it plays host to LSU at 7 p.m. CT at the Gillom Sports Center. Prior to Wednesday’s match, Ole Miss will honor its two seniors, Kellie Goss and Kara Morgan.

“Kellie and Kara are both members of our leadership team and they’ve worked very hard throughout their careers,” Ole Miss head coach Joe Getzin said. “We would love to close out their careers with a win Wednesday night against LSU.”

Goss has played in over 50 matches during her four years in Oxford, including a career-high 19 matches as a junior last season. Goss notched a single-match program-record tying four solo blocks as a sophomore against Alabama.

Morgan closes out her career with over 115 matches played, including starts in all but eight of those matches. Morgan’s name can be found in the program’s career top-10 in kills, attempts, digs and service aces.

In addition to Senior Night, Ole Miss (13-17, 3-14 Southeastern Conference) will also be celebrating Red Wednesday. As a play on Black Friday, fans will be able to register at the Gillom Center to win door prizes, including basketball tickets, gift certificates to local restaurants and other assorted items that will be given during timeouts.

Ole Miss has been led this season by sophomore middle blocker Nakeyta Clair, who is tops on the team in kills (2.60 kills per set), hitting percentage (.295) and blocks (1.18 blocks per set). Clair has put together one of the best blocking seasons at Ole Miss in the rally scoring era. The Country Club Hills, Ill., native has broken the program’s single-season record for block assists (104) and total blocks (129), and is second in solo blocks (25).

Freshman setter Aubrey Edie has passed out 888 assists this season (9.06 per set), which is the fourth highest total in single-season history at Ole Miss during the rally scoring era. Sophomore middle blocker Ty Laporte is second on the team with 2.44 kills per set, and junior libero Cara Fisher has turned it on of late with double-digit dig efforts in six of her past seven matches.

LSU (17-11, 7-9 SEC) enters Wednesday’s match as the SEC’s leaders in blocks, averaging 2.75 blocks per set. The Tigers have been paced at the net by freshman middle blocker Briana Holman, who is the SEC’s blocks leader at 1.56 blocks per set. Holman is a three-time SEC Freshman of the Week recipient, and has also been named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week once. LSU defeated Ole Miss 3-1 in Baton Rouge in the two teams’ first meeting Oct. 11.

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.

— Metz Camfield, Ole Miss Sports Information