Ole Miss defeats TSU 3-1 in second match of Magnolia Invitational
Ole Miss looked hesitant at times in the first set against Tennessee State, but quickly got into a balanced rhythm in the next two sets to overcome the Tigers with a 3-1 victory in its second match of the Magnolia Invitational.
The loss drops TSU to 0-2 to start the 2015 season.
The final shot to the hearts of the Tigers came from sophomore outside hitter Kate Gibson, who landed a powerful right-handed kill in mid-air, then ran off the court to celebrate with her teammates and coaching staff. For the game, Gibson had 11 kills and 11 digs.
Senior middle blocker Nakeyta Clair, shown here in Friday’s win over Oral Roberts, had a team-high 13 kills in the win over TSU. (Photo credit: Joshua McCoy, Ole Miss Athletics)
Senior middle blocker Nakeyta Clair had a team-high 13 kills on a .522 clip and scored 15.5 of the team’s 71 points. Sophomore redshirt freshman Kathryn Cather recorded 12 kills on a .556 attack percentage, while fellow sophomore Lexi Thompson finished the match with 9 kills.
In the third set, the Rebels (2-0) led early on 13-12, but allowed TSU to go on a 9-2 run to take a 21-15 lead. Ole Miss responded behind Clair and Thompson’s scoring attack to win the third set 25-22. The Rebels ended the third set on a 10-2 run.
Clair and Thompson combined for 16 kills at the end of three sets and basically set the tone for Ole Miss heading into its game-winning set.
The Tigers (0-2) won the first set 25-22 behind junior outside hitter Chloe Watson who recorded 14 kills. TSU seemed to lose its confidence in the second set, trailing 8-0 to the Rebels, until head coach Kelly Bullock decided to call timeout. However, by that time Ole Miss was in full control and won the set easily, 25-9.
At the end of two sets, the Rebels held a slight edge over the Tigers in kills, 21-20. In the final two sets, Ole Miss separated itself from TSU with a 27-18 kill advantage.
Rebels coach Steven McRoberts now has 498 wins and is two wins away from the 500-win club. Ole Miss will be back in action tonight at 7:30 p.m. against Northwestern State.
(Feature image credit: Ole Miss celebrates after defeating Oral Roberts on August 28, 2015 in Oxford. Photo courtesy of Joshua McCoy, Ole Miss Athletics)
