Ole Miss didn’t make it easy on itself Tuesday night, but the Rebels walked out of Gillom with the kind of win that tells you something about what this team might become.
A late fifth‑set deficit against Clemson usually means trouble. Instead, it turned into a reminder that this team has enough firepower and enough grit to survive the messy parts of a match.
Us >#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/OSFMyFdYKJ
— Ole Miss Volleyball (@OleMissVB) September 9, 2026
The story starts with Jorda Crook, because it usually does. She put together one of her most complete performances in an Ole Miss uniform, stacking 18 kills with a career‑high eight blocks and three aces.
When the Rebels needed someone to steady the match, she did it. When they needed someone to flip momentum, she did that too. Her swing that set up match point in the fifth felt like a veteran closing time moment.
But this wasn’t a one‑woman show. Melia Johnson played like someone who’s tired of being overlooked, finishing with 16 kills and giving Ole Miss a second dependable option when rallies stretched long. Cameron Bradley was everywhere again, piling up 25 digs and keeping the Rebels alive during Clemson’s best stretches.
And then there was Carly Paugh, who turned the night into a personal blocking clinic. Ten blocks is rare air in college volleyball, and she became the first Rebel to hit that mark since Payton Brgoch two seasons ago. Clemson never looked comfortable when she was in the middle of the action.
The match itself swung back and forth enough to test anyone’s patience.
Ole Miss looked in control early, lost it, regained it, lost it again, then had to dig out of a 10‑6 hole in the fifth. That’s where the bench mattered. Jaidyn Hartsfield came in cold and played like she’d been waiting all night for that moment, delivering key kills and helping fuel the final push.
Staying together 🤞
Listen to the full press conference here: https://t.co/oTUfNBWOkA#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/KuZqwfrPIK
— Ole Miss Volleyball (@OleMissVB) September 9, 2026
Shayla Meyer’s serve run flipped the entire set, and suddenly the Rebels were the ones dictating pace again.
It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t clean. But it was the kind of win that shows a team can take a punch and still finish the match on its terms.
Ole Miss gets a week to breathe before heading to Memphis.
If Tuesday night was any indication, the Rebels are learning how to win the hard ones, and that’s a skill that tends to matter once the calendar flips to SEC play.
