Ole Miss couldn’t have asked for a better start to SEC play.
The Rebels walked into Foster Auditorium on Sunday and handled Alabama from start to finish, sweeping the Crimson Tide 3-0 and putting together one of their most complete performances of the season.
Melia Johnson and Jorda Crook set the tone. They combined for 22 kills and seven blocks, and every time Ole Miss needed a swing or a stop, one of them delivered. The defense matched that energy, holding Alabama to a -.022 hitting percentage. That’s the first time Ole Miss has pushed an SEC opponent into the negatives since a win over Mississippi State in 2017.
The first set was tight early, but Johnson and Crook helped Ole Miss build a 12-9 lead with seven combined kills. From there, the Rebels took control. A Keirstyn Carlton kill sent them into the media timeout up 15-12, and the next stretch was all Ole Miss. Crook stuffed a solo block, Vivianna Samaniego dropped in an ace and Shayla Meyer added a kill to stretch the lead to 18-12. Alabama never recovered. Ole Miss closed the frame on a dominant run and took the opener 25-17.
The second set looked a lot like the first. Ole Miss jumped out 6-2, Alabama answered with a quick run, and then the Rebels settled in again. Crook and Meyer powered a push to a 15-10 lead at the media timeout. Alabama tried to chip away, but Ole Miss kept the Tide at arm’s length. A block assist from Johnson and Ryea Jackson helped close out a 25-19 win and a 2-0 match lead.
Alabama finally punched back in the third, opening with a 3-0 lead and stretching it to 15-9 at the media break. Ole Miss didn’t panic. The Rebels chipped away, got an ace from Samaniego and a Meyer kill to cut the deficit to two, and forced an Alabama timeout. The comeback kept building until the set was tied at 19-19. From there, it was a race to the finish. Ole Miss delivered the last push, getting two aces from Crook and capitalizing on an Alabama error to close out the sweep 25-23.
It was the kind of match that shows what Ole Miss looks like when everything connects — steady offense, disruptive blocking and enough composure to finish tight sets on the road.
The Rebels return home Friday to host Missouri at Gillom. First serve is set for 6 p.m. on SECN+.
