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UM Volleyball Team Goes for NIVC Title Tonight Against Texas Tech
Ole Miss’ Lauren Bars cheers on her teammates during the Rebels’ win over West Virginia in the semifinals of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship tournament. Photo by Petre Thomas/Ole Miss Athletics
The Ole Miss volleyball team will take the court this evening against the Texas Tech Red Raiders for the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. First serve is set for 6 p.m. inside the Gillom Performance Center.
Ole Miss (21-14) has run through this tournament unblemished. In the semifinals on Saturday, they swept West Virginia 3-0. Sophomore Emily Stroup led the Rebels against the Mountaineers with 19 kills. Her teammate, senior Kate Gibson, tallied 10 kills, 9 digs and 2 service aces.
Gibson joined an exclusive club as one of just eight players in the nation to boast at least 400 kills and 400 digs this season. She owns 414 kills and 428 digs.
Texas Tech reached the championship match with a 3-1 win over TCU in the semifinals. The Red Raiders opened the NIVC with a 3-0 win over SMU and then downed Texas State 3-0. They beat UC Irvine 3-1 in the quarterfinals.
Sophomore Emily Hill leads Texas Tech with 411 kills (3.37 K/Set). Senior Kate Klepetka averages 3.82 digs per set (466) and matched a season-high with 32 against TCU.
The Rebels and the Raiders have only met twice before, and the series is tied 1-1. The first meeting took place in 1981 at the Alabama Invitational, with the Red Raiders winning 2-0. The Rebels won 3-0 at the Rice Invitational in 2010.
For those fans who can’t make it or live out of town, the match will be broadcast on ESPN3 via the WatchESPN app.
Adam Brown is the sports editor at HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.
For more questions or comments email us at hottytoddynews@gmail.com.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | W, 26-14 |
| Thu, Jan 2 |  | vs Duke (Gator Bowl) | W, 52-20 |
| Mon, Nov 4 |  | vs Long Island University | W, 90-60 |
| Fri, Nov 8 |  | vs Grambling | W, 66-64 |
| Tue, Nov 12 |  | vs South Alabama | W, 64-54 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Colorado State | W, 84-69 |
| Thu, Nov 21 |  | vs Oral Roberts | L, 100-68 |
| Thu, Nov 28 |  | vs BYU | W, 96-85 OT |
| Fri, Nov 29 |  | vs 13 Purdue | L, 80-78 |
| Tue, Dec 3 |  | @ Louisville | W, 86-63 |
| Sat, Dec 7 |  | vs Lindenwood | W, 86-53 |
| Sat, Dec 14 |  | vs Southern Miss | W, 77-46 |
| Tue, Dec 17 |  | vs Southern | W, 74-61 |
| Sat, Dec 21 |  | vs Queens University | W, 80-62 |
| Sat, Dec 28 |  | @ Memphis | L, 87-70 |
| Sat, Jan 4 |  | vs Georgia | 11:00 AM SECN |
| Wed, Jan 8 |  | @ 23 Arkansas | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Jan 11 |  | vs LSU | 5:00 PM SECN |
| Tue, Jan 14 |  | @ 5 Alabama | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Jan 18 |  | @ 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Jan 22 |  | vs 13 Texas A&M | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Jan 25 |  | @ Missouri | 5:00 PM SECN |
| Wed, Jan 29 |  | vs Texas | 8:00 PM ESPN2 |
| Sat, Feb 1 |  | vs 2 Auburn | 3:00 PM TBA |
| Tue, Feb 4 |  | vs 10 Kentucky | 6:00 PM ESPN |
| Sat, Feb 8 | | @ LSU | 7:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 12 |  | @ South Carolina | 6:00 PM SECN |
| Sat, Feb 15 | | vs 17 Mississippi State | 5:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Feb 22 |  | @ Vanderbilt | 2:30 PM SECN |
| Wed, Feb 26 | | @ 2 Auburn | 6:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 1 |  | vs 12 Oklahoma | 1:00 PM TBA |
| Wed, Mar 5 |  | vs 1 Tennessee | 8:00 PM TBA |
| Sat, Mar 8 |  | @ 6 Florida | 5:00 PM SECN |