Ole Miss is back home after a quick swing through Oklahoma, settling in at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center for a two‑day stop that should say a lot about where this team is heading. Southern Miss and Central Arkansas are in town for the Rebel Volleyball Classic, giving the Rebels a chance to reset before another long stretch away from Oxford.
The weekend starts with Southern Miss and Central Arkansas meeting in a neutral‑site match Saturday afternoon. Ole Miss gets Southern Miss that night at 6 p.m., then turns around for a Sunday noon matchup with Central Arkansas. Both Rebel matches will stream on SEC Network Plus.
It’s a good time for Ole Miss to be home. This is the start of a three‑match swing at Gillom before four straight on the road, and the Rebels won’t return again until Oct. 2. They come into the weekend at 3‑2 with a few clear trends already forming.
Libero Cameron Bradley arrives as the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Week and still leads the nation in total digs with 122. The blocking effort is picking up too. Ole Miss posted 13 team blocks Thursday night, including career highs from Nina Moorer with seven and Jorda Crook with six. The Rebels only hit that number once all last season.
They’ve also developed a habit of finishing strong. Ole Miss is 3‑7 in first and second sets this fall, but 9‑3 in sets three through five. That late push has kept them afloat while new pieces settle in. Crook, a former All‑AAC opposite from UAB, has already become a focal point. Setter Tenesyn Frye from Houston and All‑Sun Belt middle Nina Moorer from Texas State have stepped in as well.
Southern Miss is a familiar opponent, but not recently. The teams met in an exhibition last year, yet this will be their first official match since 2018. Ole Miss leads the all‑time series 25‑3, with the last loss coming in 2005 at a neutral site.
Central Arkansas is a rarer matchup. The Rebels are 2‑0 all‑time, winning in Oxford in 2011 and taking a five‑setter on the road in 2019.
