Ole Miss Volleyball Heads to the Holiday Inn-University Plaza Invitational

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

Ole Miss volleyball hits the road for the second time this season as they travel up to Bowling Green Kentucky to take part in the Holiday Inn-University Plaza Invitational. The Rebels will take the court three times in two days this weekend.

Ole Miss will face off against UT Martin, the host school Western Kentucky and Samford on Friday and Saturday. The first match serve is set for 1 p.m.

Ole Miss opens the 2021 season with a 5-0 overall record. This season, Ole Miss has been a force at the net, recording 10 or more blocks in two matches. Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC averaging 2.88 blocks per set and 20th nationally.

Coach Kayla Banwarth’s club has been led at the net by Sasha Ratliff and on the outside by Anna Bair as last weekend she racked up double-digit kills in all three matches of the Ole Miss Invitational that earned her all team honors.

UT Martin comes into the weekend 1-5 overall and coming off of its first win of the season after a 3-0 sweep of Alabama A&M at the Saluki Bash.

Despite Ole Miss leading the series all-time, UT Martin has taken three of the last five from Ole Miss. The last time the two teams met in 2015, the Skyhawks were able to come away with a win in a five-set match against the Rebels.

The Skyhawks returned four of last season’s five attackers from 2020-21, including Logan Wallick who earned Preseason All-OVC honors. Karen Scanlon leads UT Martin averaging 2.35 kills per set.