Volleyball Opens Home Schedule

Ole Miss Welcomes Kennesaw State, Georgia Southern, Arkansas State

Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

OXFORD, Miss. – One week after opening the season by going 2-1 at the GW Invitational in Washington, D.C., the Ole Miss volleyball team comes home to the Gillom Sports Center to open play in the Magnolia Invitational on Friday.

The Rebels will face Kennesaw State (1-2) in their home opener Friday at 11 a.m. CT. Ole Miss will close out Friday’s doubleheader against Georgia Southern (2-1) at 7:30 p.m. CT. Ole Miss then faces Arkansas State (0-4) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT in the final match of the tournament.

“The Magnolia Invitational will be a good test for us because it brings in different styles of teams and a couple new coaching staffs that I know will have their teams reenergized and playing well by the time we see them,” Ole Miss head coach Joe Getzin said. “Georgia Southern is one of the top teams in the Southern Conference. It’s a tournament where each team will bring a different style to what we will see in the SEC. They’re very scrappy and will put a lot of pressure on us to have to execute crisply.”

Ole Miss has had great success in the Magnolia Invitational in the past. The Rebels have won the annual tournament seven times overall, including each of the past six years.

“We’re excited to come home and play in front of our home fans for the first time this season,” Getzin said. “The Gillom Center is always a tough venue for opponents to play and we look forward to having Rebel Nation out here to help us out.”

Ole Miss was led in its season-opening tournament by freshman libero Kristen Brashear and sophomore middle blocker Ty Laporte, who were each named to the GW Invitational All-Tournament team.

Brashear recorded 28 digs against the Colonials in the Rebels’ last match, which is the third highest single-match total during the rally scoring era (playing to 25) in program history. Laporte averaged 2.00 kills per set and 0.90 blocks per set while hitting at a team-high .260 clip.

Junior outside hitter Marie-Pierre Bakima leads the Rebels offensively entering this weekend with a 2.58 kills per set average. Senior Kara Morgan follows closely behind with a 2.38 kills per set average. Freshman setter Aubrey Edie averaged 8.00 assists per set in the nation’s capital, which currently ranks 10th in the Southeastern Conference.

For all Ole Miss volleyball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissVB and on Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball.

— Ole Miss Sports Information