Ole Miss Volleyball Sweeps Alabama

By Raegan Cohn

HottyToddy Intern

Friday night, Ole Miss played their first conference match of the season versus the Alabama Crimson Tide on their new court. The Rebels took the win 3-0, making this their fifth consecutive win against the Tide. Playing without Sasha Ratliff, an All-SEC middle blocker, at first seemed challenging until sophomore Vivian Miller took it upon herself to lead the Rebels to victory. Miller put up a stunning 13 kills and 26 attacks.

In the first set, Ole Miss got off to a hot start, leading the Tide 7-3. After a needed timeout, Alabama picked up the pace. They edged ahead of the Rebels 17-16. Ole Miss Coach Bre Henry, not a fan of how her team was playing, called a timeout to help get momentum back. The Rebels capitalized on two errors by the Tide, securing victory in the first set 25-20.

The exciting momentum carried into the second set for the Rebels. Ole Miss put up 12 kills, outscoring the Tide 25-17.

During the final set, Ole Miss eased to a 25-18 victory. Julia Dyess scored the final point of the night on an assist from Daniel Sommer. The Rebels managed to put up 55 points, 41 kills, 4 aces, 10 blocks, 37 assists, and 51 digs while holding the Tide to a season-low hitting percentage of .084. 

The Rebels now stand 7-5 with one conference win. They will face another conference opponent, No. 24 Auburn, on September 24 at 2 p.m. on the road.