OXFORD, Miss. – Needing a win in set three to keep the match alive, Alabama volleyball rallied to avoid a sweep and force a fourth set against Ole Miss Saturday afternoon in Oxford, but the Rebels ultimately held on to win the fourth and take the match, 3-1, over the Crimson Tide.
Alabama (6-12, 0-6 SEC) trailed Ole Miss (7-9, 3-3 SEC) early in the first set before a 6-2 run coming out of the media timeout tied things back up at 17-17. The Rebels retook their lead down the stretch but the Tide kept it tight, drawing as close as one point before the home team took the frame, 25-23. Alabama scored the first point of set two, but the Rebels responded with three straight and held the lead for the remainder to win 25-20. Needing a win in the third set to keep the match alive, the Tide put its foot on the gas and led the entire frame, winning 25-23 to force a fourth set. Alabama started the fourth set with three in a row but Ole Miss quickly jumped back in front and an 8-0 run in the middle of the frame helped push the Rebels to a 25-16 win to take the match.
Alabama tallied eight aces in the match, its highest total in SEC play this season and its most against a league opponent since Sept. 25 last season against LSU. Abby Marjama earned three of those eight aces, improving her conference-leading season total to 41. Kendyl Reaugh finished with nine kills, ending her streak of matches with double-digit kills at seven. She finished just behind behind Marjama with 11 and Sami Jacobs with 10, the latter being a season-high for the sophomore.
Notes
- The eight aces are the most for Alabama in an SEC match this season and its most against a league opponent since Sept. 25, 2021 against LSU
- The win in set three marked the second time this season Alabama avoided a sweep after falling in the first two sets
- Kendyl Reaugh’s streak of seven straight matches with double-digit kills ended, earning nine in the match along with a team-leading 12 digs
- Abby Marjama led the team with three aces, improving her SEC-leading season total to 41
- Sami Jacobs finished with a season-high 10 kills
Stat Leaders
Set-by-Set
- Set 1: Ole Miss 25, Alabama 23
- Set 2: Ole Miss 25, Alabama 20
- Set 3: Alabama 25, Ole Miss 23
- Set 4: Ole Miss 25, Alabama 16
Up Next: Week Eight
- Wednesday, Oct. 12 vs. Missouri – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 6 p.m. CT
- Friday, Oct. 14 vs. Alabama State – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – 6 p.m….
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