Did you miss a big announcement or a score this week at Ole Miss? Don’t worry! HottyToddy.com rounded up all the sports news for the week of August 18-24!
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Men’s Golf
Ole Miss Golf Announces ’14-15 Schedule
Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
Ole Miss men’s golf head coach Chris Malloy announced the Rebels’ schedule for the 2014-15 season Monday, highlighted by trips to Hawaii and Mexico.
The schedule, which features 11 tournaments, tees off Sept. 8 at the two-day Sam Hall Intercollegiate in Hattiesburg, Miss. Other September tournaments include the Dick’s Challenge Cup in Nashville, Tennessee (Sept. 19-21) and The Shoal Creek Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama (Sept. 29-30).
“I am extremely pleased with how our schedule has come together,” Malloy said. “Our goal is to compete against the best teams in the country, and we will certainly have that opportunity. We feel that this schedule will prepare us to make a run in the SEC and National Championship.”
The Rebels finish up fall play in Tuscaloosa, Alabama at the Jerry Pate Intercollegiate (Oct. 6-7), followed by the Princeville Invitational in Kauai, Hawaii (November 3-5).
The spring season begins Feb. 23 when the Rebels travel to Mobile, Alabama for the South Alabama Invitational before heading to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for the Querencia Cabo Intercollegiate (March 1-3).
Ole Miss closes out the regular season with the Tiger Invitational (March 8-10) in Auburn, Alabama, the Chris Schenkel Invitational (March 20-22) in Statesboro, Georgia and the Old Waverly Invitational (April 6-7) in West Point, Mississippi.
The SEC Championships will take place in Sea Island, Georgia, April 17-19, while NCAA Regionals are set for May 14-16 at various host sites. The 2015 NCAA Championships will take place at The Concessions Golf Club in Tampa, Florida.
– Daniel Snowden, Ole Miss Sports Information
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Basketball
Ole Miss Basketball Teams to Take Part in SEC Basketball Tipoff
The Ole Miss men’s and women’s basketball teams will take part in the Southeastern Conference Basketball Tipoff ’15 at the SEC Network Headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22. The women’s team will participate in the media event on Oct. 21 and the men will take their turn Oct. 22. The credential system will be available on Sept. 2. More information will be available in the coming weeks regarding the event.
– Ole Miss Sports Information
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Cross Country
Ole Miss Men’s Cross Country Picked Third in SEC
The Ole Miss men’s cross country team was predicted to finish third in the Southeastern Conference this year in a vote by the SEC head coaches, announced by the league office Wednesday.
The Rebel men, who received three first-place votes in the poll, are poised for a breakout season under head coach Brian O’Neal. They return top sophomores Robert Domanic and Trevor Gilley and welcome several highly regarded newcomers with the likes of freshman Sean Tobin, Northeastern transfer Wesley Gallagher, junior Daniel Bulmer, redshirt freshman Mark Shaw and others.
The Ole Miss women were picked 11th by the league coaches. Both squads begin the 2014 season at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic on Saturday, Aug. 30.
The University of Arkansas men and women were both predicted to repeat as SEC Cross Country Champions. Points for the men’s poll were awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12 basis, while the women’s poll was awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13 basis. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
The 2014 SEC Cross Country Championships are slated to take place Friday, Oct. 31 at Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
For more information on Ole Miss Track & Field and Cross Country, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissTrack and on Facebook at Ole Miss Track.
– Ole Miss Sports Information
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Volleyball
Volleyball Set To Host Red/Blue Scrimmage
Fans are invited to attend the Ole Miss volleyball team’s annual Red/Blue scrimmage during their lunch hour Thursday at the Gillom Sports Center. The match will begin at 11:30 a.m., and fans will enjoy free pizza while they get their first look at the 2014 team.
“We would love for our fans to join us during their lunch time on Thursday to watch the Red/Blue scrimmage,” said first-year head coach Steven McRoberts. “These young ladies have been working extremely hard, and I think Rebel fans will be impressed with this group. Come eat some free pizza and get a glimpse of this year’s team.”
Ole Miss has been practicing for nearly two weeks in preparation for its season opener, which is just a little more than a week away. The Rebels head to Buffalo, New York, for the Buffalo Invitational Aug. 29-31.
Fans will see many familiar faces on the court this year, as the Rebels return 11 letterwinners, including position starters Nakeyta Clair, Ty Laporte, Melanie Crow and Aubrey Edie.
For more information on Ole Miss Volleyball, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissVB, on Facebook at OleMissVolleyball and on Instagram at OleMissVB.
– Ole Miss Sports Information
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Soccer
Ole Miss Soccer: Not So Middle of the Pack
When the Rebels take to the field this weekend against the Georgia Bulldogs to open the 2014 season, it will be with a group of experienced players in the midfield as Ole Miss looks to pick up a Southeastern Conference victory and kick off the year with success.
The midfield won’t look the same as it has in the past, however, as the Rebels look to replace a pair of four-year starters with the graduation of All-America selection Mandy McCalla and two-time captain Erin Emerson.
Junior Jennifer Miller returns to anchor the midfield after starting the previous two seasons, but it will be alongside two teammates who are new to the position with the Rebels, even if they aren’t new faces on the field.
Junior Jessica Hiskey and sophomore Gretchen Harknett move up on the field for 2014 after playing previous seasons with the Rebels as strong members of a backline that posted 10 shutouts a year ago and helped Ole Miss to a school record 16 wins and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re very excited about our midfield,” Mott said. “Jenn is back for us and she looks really sharp. She’s the general for us and understands where the ball needs to go. We’re a better team when she touches the ball because she makes great decisions and is so dangerous.”
Miller has been a threat in the midfield for the Rebels since she stepped on campus prior to the 2012 season. The diminutive player stands out in the crowd as she zips through defenders to pass the ball off for a score or finishes on her own. As a freshman, she posted a pair of goals before upping that total to four goals and three assists last season as a sophomore.
Add to the mix a pair of defenders who have been known to quickly take the ball and move forward on the attack in Harknett and Hiskey, and the Rebels feel they have an excellent trio in place to help control the middle of the field in 2014.
“Gretchen will move back to her natural position and replace Mandy (McCalla) as an attacking middle,” Mott said. “She’s a very athletic and dynamic midfielder. She can defend well and shoot with both feet from distance. She brings us the best long-range shooting we’ve had since I got here. She also has played club soccer with forward Addie Forbus, so they play well off each other and that will help us.
“Jessica will move to a holding mid position to take the place of Erin (Emerson),” Mott said. “She’s extremely mobile, tough and tenacious. She’s good with the ball and will win a lot of air balls. We really look for her to anchor our midfield. She’s a player that possesses all the qualities you would include if you were to design your holding midfielder.”
The three aren’t going at it alone this season. The Rebels added a trio of freshmen to the mix who all have pushed for playing time in the preseason and are expected to see significant minutes on the field this season.
Amanda Karlsson, a freshman with international experience playing for the Swedish U20 team, joins Liza Harbin and Bella Fiorenzo as additional options to provide depth in the middle this season.
“Amanda is very good with the ball and is another strong presence in the air. She’s good with the ball and is a playmaker. Liza will get a lot of minutes to help us in the rotation and is a fantastic athlete. She has possibly the highest vertical leap I’ve seen in a women’s soccer player. Bella will also factor into the depth as she continues to work her way back from injury.”
The athleticism at the midfield is one that excites the coaching staff with several players who possess range and agility that will help in transition as the Rebels look to move the ball forward quickly or recover defensively to turn away an opponent’s attack.
“We have to replace a couple of very smart players in Erin and Mandy, but also a great goal scorer in Mandy,” Mott said of his midfield. “I think this group as a whole has better mobility and speed, so we can cover a lot more ground. I think that’s a common theme across the team from top to bottom is our speed. We’re a faster team all around this season.”
Rebel fans get the chance to see the squad in action this weekend with a pair of matches against challenging foes.
Ole Miss opens the season at 6 p.m. against the Georgia Bulldogs in a match that will be televised by the SEC Network and is the first live regular-season event broadcast by the newly launched network. The Rebels will then return to the pitch to take on Iowa State from the Big 12 at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Admission to all matches at the Ole Miss Soccer Stadium is free.
– Ole Miss Sports Information
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Softball
Schneider Signs with Ole Miss
First-year Ole Miss softball head coach Mike Smith announced his first signee Thursday, as Alex Schneider (Southlake, Texas) has signed with Ole Miss and will compete for the Rebels during the 2015 season.
Schneider, an athletic infielder who originally signed with Texas Tech coming out of high school before a coaching change with the Red Raiders allowed her to re-open her recruitment, has the potential to be an RBI-producer for the Rebels, Smith said.
“She’s strong, tall and athletic,” Smith said. “She’s someone who can play all infield positions with a big stick. She’s someone we can put, probably, in the middle of our lineup and has the opportunity to hit in the three-, four-, five-, or six-hole. One thing you might expect from her is consistency and versatility. Anytime you get a kid who’s 5-foot-10, 5-foot-11 and athletic it jumps off the page. Alex is going to be someone who is going to compete for a starting job as a freshman instantly just because of her raw athleticism.”
A four-year letterwinner at Southlake Carroll High School, Schneider was named the district newcomer of the year in 2011, and was named first team All-District in 2012, 2013 and 2014. She also excelled off the diamond, as she was a four-time academic All-District recipient and was a member of the National Honor Society from 2011-14.
The daughter of Paul and Pam Schneider, Alex is planning on majoring in integrated market communications. Her mom played volleyball at Southern Arkansas, while her dad was a baseball player at Southern Arkansas.
For more information on Ole Miss Softball, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball and on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball.
–Ole Miss Sports Information
HottyToddy.com Sports Roundup: August 18-24
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