The death of record-setting volleyball player and track and field athlete Ty Laporte left the Oxford and University community in mourning. She was 23 and in her final semester at the University.
Mississippi Highway Patrol Master Sgt. Ray Hall said Laporte died in a two-vehicle crash involving an 18-wheeler Thursday night. The wreck happened at the intersection of Mississippi Highway 7 and U.S. Highway 72, north of Oxford near the Tennessee state line.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by Ty’s death. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, her teammates, coaches and our staff during this difficult time,” Athletic Director Ross Bjork said in a press release Friday. “Everyone in the Ole Miss family offers our deepest sympathy to everyone who was touched by Ty’s amazing and infectious spirit.”
Ty Laporte encourages teammates earlier this year. (Courtesy: OleMissSports.com)
A memorial fund has been created to help the Laportes with funeral expenses and assist her family. Contributors can send donations to the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation or by visiting TyLaporteFund.com. Ole Miss Athletic Foundation tweeted over $2,700 had already been raised Saturday.
“Our volleyball family is so heartbroken today with this news,” volleyball Coach Steven McRoberts said in a news release Friday. “Ty’s smile would light up the room and her passion was contagious. She was loved by all of her teammates and coaches. Ty will be greatly missed by not only the volleyball team but the whole Ole Miss community.”
South Carolina native Laporte was a four-year member of the volleyball and track and field teams and an honor roll student.
During her final two years under McRoberts, she helped lead the volleyball team to consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in nearly three decades and was ranked in the top 10 in the SEC in hitting percentage her senior year. Laporte finished her volleyball career ranked fifth all-time in program history in kills (999) and third in both block assists (280) and total blocks (334).
She also finished ranked ninth in school history in the outdoor high jump with a personal record mark of 5-feet-7.75-inches.
Moments of silence were observed at University events like the Black Student Union Black History Month Gala Friday and the men’s basketball game Saturday. The basketball team also wore patches on their uniforms in memory of Laporte.
-Lana Ferguson
