OXFORD, Miss. – With 12 players returning from last season’s NCAA Tournament appearance, the Rebels are ready to run it back. As Ole Miss volleyball prepares for the first serve of 2022 on Friday, OleMissSports.com rounds up its series of position previews with a look at the liberos.
The Rebels boast plenty of depth at libero with a pair of seniors, two sophomores and a freshman. Riley Fisher, a fifth-year senior, returned for one more season with the Rebels. She appeared in all 30 matches, making 11 starts last season. The Kennesaw, Georgia, native and former Florida transfer ranked third on the team with 262 digs, averaging 2.38 per set and led the Rebels with 25 service aces.
Maggie Miller enters her senior season having appeared in 43 matches in her three seasons in Oxford. The Houston, Texas, native started six matches and appeared in 23 last season. She tallied the fourth-most digs on the team with 123 total, notching double figures in five matches.
Sophomores Bailee Middleton and Bria Samilton will also see the court for Ole Miss. Middleton appeared in 17 matches last season. She tallied 45 digs, six assists and five aces in 48 total sets played. Samilton saw action in 5 matches, recording 24 digs, two aces, two assists and one kill.
Freshman Cammy Niesen hopes to make an impact for the Rebels at the libero position. The 2021 AVCA Second Team High School All-American graduated as the all-time dig leader at Roger Bacon High School, where she led the Miami Valley Conference in digs as a senior. Niesen was also named first team All-District and the District Player of the Year and first team All-State in 2020.
First serve of the 2022 season officially takes place on August 26 at 4 p.m. as the Rebels open the Ole Miss Invitational, hosting No. 9 Georgia Tech. The match will be available to stream 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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