In the Rebels’ fourth ranked matchup on the road this season, Ole Miss was unable to overcome Tennessee’s power on the outsides, falling 3-0 in Thompson-Bowling Arena Sunday afternoon.
Lauren Thompson powered Ole Miss (17-6, 6-6 SEC) behind a career-high 18 kills but it wasn’t enough as Tennessee (17-6, 9-4 SEC) hit at a high-powered .400 clip to snap a three-match losing streak. Two Rebels finished with double-digit digs as Riley Fischer added 13, while Kylee McLaughlin finished with 10 digs and 35 assists for her ninth double-double of the season.
An early 3-0 run in the first set by the Volunteers gave Tennessee a 5-3 lead as the Rebels worked to play catchup. A kill from the outside by Anna Bair put the Rebels within one, trailing 7-6 until a 4-0 Volunteer run extended their lead to 10-6. Ole Miss continued to fight back pulling within five at 21-16 but were unable to overcome the Vols, falling in set one 25-17.
Ole Miss struggled to cool off the red-hot Volunteers, as Tennessee began the second set on a 6-1 run. The Rebels worked to remain in the set by closing the gap to two, trailing 14-12. A 3-0 Rebel run allowed them to tie up the set for the first time at 15 all. After a Tennessee error, Ole Miss broke the tie to take its first lead of the set at 17-16. The two teams pushed each other back and forth being tied through 24, until the Vols took the last two points of the set to claim it 26-24 and go up 2-0.
The back and forth trend from the second set carried into the third, with both teams tied through seven all. Tennessee scored two straight points to go up 9-7 for its first lead of the set. It was all Tennessee until Ole Miss halted three straight Volunteer set points to come within four at 24-20. Yet, it wasn’t enough to extend the match as one final kill for the Vols allowed them to win the set 25-20 and the match 3-0.
Ole Miss returns home to the confines of the Gillom Center for a two-match series against LSU this upcoming Thursday through Friday (November 11-12) Both matches against the Tigers will be available to stream on SEC Network + at 6 p.m. CT.
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports
