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Oxford, Miss. – Ole Miss volleyball, which opened the season against No. 9 Georgia Tech, never looked back, falling just short in a 3-1 loss Friday night at the Gillum Center that featured 16 matches and 10 lead changes. The Rebels went toe-to-toe with a Yellow Jackets team coming off an Elite Eight appearance, putting up 24 or better points in each set.
Anna Bair And Samantha Schnitt He led the charge, each scoring double-digit kills. Schnitta had 14 kills and hit an efficient .417, finishing with 18 for Bayer. Preseason All-SEC middle blocker Sasha Ratliff She made her mark at the net, collecting three blocks and 12 kills on a .474 attack percentage. Prepare and transfer to Utah Summer Daniel She led the offense with a team-high 47 assists and 17 digs, posting her first career double-double. Unfortunately, the Rebels couldn’t find an answer for Georgia Tech All-American Julia Bergman, who finished with 33 kills in the match.
After dropping a few points out of the gate, Ole Miss settled down and built an 8-4 lead to force an early Yellow Jacket timeout. From here, the rebels did not look back. second Julia Dice And junior Schnitta had the hot hands early, leading Ole Miss with four kills apiece. The Rebels went 9-2 to pick up their first win of the 2022 season, 25-13.
Georgia Tech responded in the second set, but the Rebels didn’t make it easy. Both teams were locked at 10 apiece, going back and forth and scoring with little sniping. The Yellow Jackets managed some separation at 22-17, and just when it looked like Georgia Tech had run away with the show, a 7-2 Ole Miss run tied things up at 24. However, the Yellow Jackets hung on to tie the game.
The back-and-forth nature carried over into the early parts of the third set before Georgia Tech went on a 7-0 run and took a 16-10 lead. Fighting from behind, the Rebels rattled off eight unanswered points by Ratliff. Down by two points, Georgia Tech stormed back and took the set 28-26.
Down two sets to one, Georgia Tech used the momentum to its advantage. The Yellow Jackets built a quick 6-1 lead, forcing Banwart and the Rebels to regroup. Ole Miss found its composure and clawed its way back into the match as Bayer hit .800 with eight kills on 10 total hits. The Rebels pulled even at 22 and again turned on the pressure.
As the match went down to the wire, Shanita kept the Rebels alive with back-to-back kills. Ole Miss looked to push the match to a deciding set, but Georgia Tech scored three unanswered to close out the game and spoil the Rebels’ upset bid.
The Rebels are back in action Sunday, closing out the Ole Miss Invitational against No. 17 Illinois in a 1pm CT contest. Fans who cannot attend can catch the game on SECN+.
Follow the Rebels on Twitter @OleMissVB, Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball, and @olemissvb on Instagram. You can also follow the main trainer Kayla Barnworth On Twitter @KeanBanwarth2.
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