Griffin Ray
The Lady Rebels succumbed to a losing record for this season after last weekend’s slate of games.
Ole Miss played their third home game in a row on Friday, Oct. 6, against unranked Texas A&M. The Rebels had a hard time getting the offense going, resulting in a very low .121 average hitting percentage against the Aggies.
It was a slow-going start for the Ole Miss volleyball team, as they only earned a .05 hitting percentage in set one and amassed 11 errors. Besides a solid set three, there was not much improvement on offense or defense resulting in a 3-1 loss for the Rebels.
However, this was an atypical loss for the Rebels. Usually, the defense has been the main hindrance on the team, resulting in losses due to the offense not being able to keep up with the lack of stops or rallies from the defense. However, the larger issue on Friday for Ole Miss was the offense.
They had nine fewer kills than the Aggies and a marginally worse hitting percentage. Ultimately, the offense did not get the hits to land when needed, leading to their third SEC loss of the year.
The Rebels then traveled to Lexington, Ky., for their sixth SEC matchup of the year against No. 22 Kentucky. The Wildcats came out swinging with a convincing 25-14 win in set one. Ole Miss hit back with a 28-26 win in set two evening it up, but the Rebels could not keep up in the following sets, resulting in a 3-1 win for Kentucky.
Unfortunately, the road crowd got to the Rebels, and they played significantly worse in the last two sets. All around the board, the Rebels struggled. They made 26 errors and had a sad .086 average hitting percentage across the four matches.
However, Kentucky has always been a top tier team in D1 volleyball, so this blowout loss should not be taken as completely bleak. With lots to improve on both offensively and defensively, the Rebels will be on the road again next weekend, seeking to bounce back and improve on their current 8-9 overall record.
Ole Miss will travel first to Fayetteville, Ark., to face the Razorbacks on Friday, Oct. 13, followed by a matchup with the Missouri Tigers on the road on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 15. Both games will be streamed on SEC Network+.
