Philpot quarterbacks the offense

 
Triple-doubles are commonly known as a basketball statistic, but don’t tell that to senior setter Amanda Philpot. The Cincinnati native has two triple-doubles this season and six total in her Ole Miss career. 
 
“Honestly, my goal isn’t to get a triple-double, it’s to help us win,” Philpot said. “So if I get one, that’s a bonus. I want to do what we need do to win.”
 
As a setter, Philpot will get her assists, but when she is able to tally up digs and kills, it's a big boost to the team. Offensively, she will be in the front trying to take up space, but she will move to the back line for defensive purposes.  
 
“It’s kind of my job to run the offense and put my hitters in the best situation possible for them to score,” she said. “I like to play defense, too, in the back. I’m not expected to be getting numbers like our libero (Ashley Veach) by any means, but I need to get the job done back there.”
 
This season she has recorded 483 assists, averaging 9.29 a set, which ranks 10th in the Southeastern Conference. To go along with her team-leading assist total, Philpot is third on the team with 109 kills and second with 133 digs.
 
“The setter on a volleyball team is just like a quarterback,” head coach Joe Getzin said. “For three years, she’s been our starting setter, and she makes great decisions. Right now, she leads the league in triple-doubles.” 
 
Ole Miss volleyball fans can thank Philpot's mom for getting her to sign up as a kid. Philpot said she hated volleyball as a young girl, but her mom made her play. As she grew older, she realized there could be a future in the sport. 
 
“I started to think about actually doing something with it in the future, rather than just a random thing to do," Philpot said.
 
Philpot didn't start her collegiate career at Ole Miss, but she has had a relationship with the program dating back to high school. She was interested in going to Ole Miss initially, but the Rebels already had another setter committed. Therefore, she decided to head to Georgetown College before transferring to Ole Miss prior to the 2010 season after a sudden change of events.
 
“I had known (senior outside hitter) Whitney (Craven) from club (volleyball), and she texted me randomly in the spring and said their setter had quit,” Philpot said. “Then I came on a visit. I really liked the team; they were really welcoming and inviting, even on my visit. It was comfortable from day one.”
 
Getzin said Philpot is one of the most important players on the team.
 
“She leads a lot more by example,” Getzin said. “She’s come out of her shell the last three years and is doing a really good job for us.”
 
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