Up ahead: Rebel volleyball

After posting a 19-11 overall record and earning an NCAA tournament birth for the third time in five years, the Ole Miss volleyball team looks forward to the upcoming season with high hopes. 

Ole Miss also finished fourth in the Southeastern Conference overall standings and second in the Western Division standings with a 13-7 conference record. 

The team, unfortunately, was defeated in the first round of the tournament by the North Carolina Tar Heels.

“I think we did a nice job,” head coach Joe Getzin said. “We positioned ourselves well and won key matches like LSU at home. The team did a great job pulling together. We did suffer from the injury bug with key players Regina Thomas and Courtney Cunningham.”

The injury-plagued Rebels managed to find a way without senior Thomas, who was named first team All-SEC despite missing the final seven matches after tearing her ACL.

“It was definitely really challenging in the beginning and so unlike me because I’m always doing something,” Thomas said, “It is a lot easier now that I’m released, playing and working out. It makes you a little bit tougher.”

Thomas was a tough loss for the Rebels at the middle blocker position. Without her presence, many other players had to step up, like junior outside hitter Allegra Wells.

“I’ll be honest,” Well said. “It was hard to finish the season without Regina. It was a pretty big letdown for the team.”

Wells stepped up on the court and made herself known going into this next season. She looks to be an impact player for the Rebels alongside Thomas, junior outside hitter Whitney Craven and junior middle blocker Courtney Cunningham.

Expectations are set high for the upcoming year and many think the Rebels can win the Western Division and compete with the best of the SEC. 

Ole Miss split with LSU, last year’s Western Division champion, including a 3-0 shutout win in the teams’ Oct. 15 meeting in Oxford.

“As a team we plan to win the (SEC) West,” Wells said, “And get further into NCAA’s. We would like to get a ring. It has never been done in school history and we have not won a NCAA tournament game, so it would be great to get it done.”

The pressure will be mounting on the Rebels this year with what appears to be one of the toughest schedules around. 

The Rebels will play 14 matches against teams who advanced the NCAA tournament last season. Not only that, but the team will begin the season with a match against the Israeli National team at the Burnt Orange Classic in Austin, Texas. 

The Rebels will also take on the hosts, Texas, who advanced to the Final Four last season, and Pepperdine in the weekend tournament Aug. 26-27.

“I feel that this is one of the best teams at Ole Miss,” Getzin said. “We have a team that can handle our schedule and prepare well. If we go out and play and perform to our abilities, this years team will win more than in the past. I am excited for the future of Ole Miss volleyball.”

The Ole Miss volleyball’s home opener is Aug. 9 with matches against Arkansas Little-Rock and Northwestern, an NCAA Tournament team last season, in the Magnolia Invitational.