FORT MYERS, Fla. – Ole Miss volleyball and the tournament host FGCU battled for five sets Saturday night inside Alico Arena; however, it was the Eagles who came out on top 3-2 in a thriller.
Anna Bair and Sasha Ratliff led the offense with 15 kills apiece, but it was the errors that proved costly for the Rebels. Transfer Nia Washington, making her first start, also recorded her first collegiate double-double, finishing with 13 kills and 17 digs.
Washington’s first kill as a Rebel broke a 3-0 run by FGCU to get Ole Miss on the board. Trailing 6-2, the Rebels stormed back to tie the match out of a timeout at 17, but the Eagles hung on to fend off the Rebs and pulled away late.
Ole Miss flipped the script and stormed out to a 7-3 lead in set two. Washington continued to power the offense, helping lead a 7-0 run to make it 19-8. The Eagles didn’t go away without a fight. A late 15-2 run made things interesting as FGCU took a 23-21 lead, but Ole Miss remained composed and locked in to take the second set, 25-23.
The third set was tight, featuring 19 ties, as both teams battled for momentum. Florida Gulf Coast managed to build up a slight edge over the Rebels, but Ratliff picked up her 10th kill of the match to make it 14-15. Ole Miss and FGCU continued to go back and forth, going into extra points until the Eagles took the set 30-28.
Looking to force a fifth set, Ole Miss came alive as Shayla Meyer gave the Rebels a spark off the bench. Making her collegiate debut, the redshirt freshman led a 6-1 run to help Ole Miss climb back into the set. Down 20-17, the Rebels caught fire with an 8-0 run to extend the…
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