PHOTO BY: PAYTON TEFFNER Nakeyta Clair prepares to spike the ball set by Aubrey Edie (4) during the game against Mississippi State Sunday.
Momentum is what this match was all about for the Rebels.
In front of a full house at the Gillom Sports Center, the Ole Miss Volleyball team swept rival Mississippi State 3-0 Sunday to improve to 16-3 overall.
Despite two back-to-back blocks at the start of the first set, the Rebels got off to a slow start against Mississippi State (5-15) with the Bulldogs leading most of the set. After a few key kills by sophomore Melanie Crow and freshman Taylor Alexander, the Rebels gained a lead of 20-18. With a kill by Crow, the Rebel won set one 25-22.
The momentum seemed to pick up for the Rebels in set two where they started off with a 2-0 lead. The Rebels continued strong, maintaining the lead throughout most of the set. With a kill by junior Nakeyta Clair, the Rebels took set two with a score of 25-19. The Rebels were one set away from their most consecutive home wins.
The momentum was definitely high at the start of set three with the Rebels quickly taking the lead over the Bulldogs. It seemed as if the Rebels could not be stopped with the score margin being as high as 10 points in the set. Crow did it again with the set-winning kill to seal the Rebels’ win of set three 25-15, sweeping the Bulldogs.
With the win against Mississippi State, Ole Miss volleyball has posted the most consecutive home wins in the rally-scoring era with nine.
The crowd helped pick up momentum for the Rebels. Head Coach Steven McRoberts spoke about the crowd.
“It was a tremendous crowd for us, especially on a Sunday afternoon, and we hope we can keep getting crowds like this in here,” McRoberts said. “It really helps lift our spirits and helps lift our play up, especially after a slow start.”
“There was a great crowd today,” Melanie Crow said. “It’s humbling to see all the fans here supporting us.”
With the Rebels remaining undefeated at home but struggling on the road against SEC opponents like Florida and South Carolina, the Rebels are working to improve their performance on the road.
“We just have to keep our energy up on the road,” Crow said. “We’re playing against loud fans that are always against us. We have to be able to keep our confidence up and the energy within our team up.”
Alexander talked about her role in SEC play, totaling eight kills against Mississippi State.
“I got all the nervousness out a couple weeks ago when I first started, but now, I feel more comfortable in my spot,” Alexander said.
Alexander then talked about the impact that the rivalry between Ole Miss and Mississippi State had on the team’s experience today.
“It was so crazy. I didn’t realize the real rivalry that it was until the fans started pouring in,” Alexander said. “Then once the match started, the adrenaline was running. It was a great first experience against Mississippi State.”
The Rebels will travel to Auburn (9-10) Friday, then to Alabama (16-4) Sunday in two more SEC matchups.
“This win will pump us up for next week going into Auburn and Alabama,” Crow said. “I think it will just give us confidence rolling into next week.”
