OXFORD, Miss. – Opening the season against No. 9 Georgia Tech, Ole Miss volleyball didn't back down, falling just short in a 3-1 loss Friday night at the Gillom Center that featured 16 ties and 10 lead changes. The Rebels went toe-to-toe with a Yellow Jackets squad that is coming off an Elite Eight appearance, putting up 24 or better points in each set.
Anna Bair and Samantha Schnitta led the attack, each notching double-digit kills. Schnitta racked up 14 kills, hitting at an efficient .417 rate, while Bair finished with 18. Preseason All-SEC middle blocker Sasha Ratliff also made her presence known at the net, tallying three blocks and 12 kills on a .474 attacking percentage. Setter and Utah transfer Sommer Daniel guided the offense with a career-high 47 assists and 17 digs, notching her first career double-double. Unfortunately, the Rebels couldn't find an answer to Georgia Tech All-American Julia Bergmann, who finished with 33 kills in the match.
After dropping a few points right out of the gate, Ole Miss settled in and built up an 8-4 lead to force an early Yellow Jacket timeout. From there, the Rebels never looked back. Sophomore Julia Dyess and junior Schnitta had the hot hands early, leading Ole Miss with four kills each. The Rebels capped off a dominant first set with a 9-2 run to take the victory in their first set of the 2022 season, 25-13.
Georgia Tech responded in the second set, but the Rebels didn't make it easy. Both teams were locked up at 10 apiece and proceeded to go back and forth, scoring in little bursts. The Yellow Jackets managed to get some separation at 22-17, and just when it looked like Georgia Tech had run away with the set, a 7-2 Ole Miss run knotted things back up at 24 all. However, the Yellow Jackets hung on to tie the match.
The back-and-forth nature carried over into the early parts of the third set before Georgia Tech went on a 7-0 run and took a 16-10 lead. Battling from behind, the Rebels rattled off eight unanswered points of their own, capped off by a thunderous kill from Ratliff. Down two points, Georgia Tech clawed its way back and took the set by a score of 28-26.
Up two sets to one, Georgia Tech used the momentum to its advantage. The Yellow Jackets built up a quick 6-1 lead, forcing Banwarth and the Rebels to regroup. Ole Miss regained its composure and battled back into the match as Bair hit .800 in the set, racking up eight kills on 10 total attacks. The Rebels pulled even at 22 and, once again, turned the pressure on.
With the match coming down to the wire, Schnitta kept the Rebels alive with back-to-back kills. Ole Miss looked to push the match to a deciding set, but Georgia Tech scored three unanswered to close out the match and spoil the Rebels' upset bid.
The Rebels are back in action on Sunday, closing out the Ole Miss Invitational with a matchup against No. 17 Illinois at 1 p.m. CT. Fans who can't be in attendance can catch the match on SECN+.
Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissVB, Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball, and on Instagram at @olemissvb. You can also follow head coach Kayla Banwarth on Twitter @KaylaBanwarth2.
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August 27, 2022 at 08:35AM
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Volleyball Falls Just Short Against No. 9 Georgia Tech - Ole Miss Athletics
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