The University of Mississippi Athletics

Sunday, October 19
Nashville, Tenn.
1 PM

Ole Miss

10-9,2-6SEC

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Vanderbilt

5-12,1-7SEC

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Ole Miss
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Team Celly_Vanderbilt_10.19

Volleyball Rides Third Set Rally to Thrilling Win at Vanderbilt

10/19/2025 | Volleyball

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A stunning come from behind performance in the third set propelled the Ole Miss volleyball program to a thrilling, 3-2 victory at Vanderbilt on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Gymnasium.
 
Gabi Placide turned in another vintage performance, leading all players with 25 kills, alongside a season-high 10 digs and six blocks to pace the Rebels (10-9, 2-6 SEC). Mokihana Tufono was sensational in the win, tallying a season-high 53 assists, with no setting errors, while adding four kills on .800 hitting, 12 digs, two blocks and two service aces. Shayla Meyer also added 14 kills and 11 digs. Reese Animashaun led the Commodores (5-12, 1-7 SEC) with 15 kills.
 
Vanderbilt would be the first team to grab momentum, building a rapid 7-1 advantage to open the match. However, some strong work by Meyer, who tallied three quick kills and Tufono, who notched three kills, 10 assists and four digs in the set helped the Rebels erase much of the deficit and cut it to 10-8. Placide began to get it going after a tepid start with a pair of kills, but the hosts managed to pull away for a 25-19 set win.
 
The Rebels quickly regrouped and came out of the break on fire, building a 4-0 lead. The Rebels were able to spread the wealth on offense, as Placide, Meyer and Melia Johnson each tallied kills and the Rebels were able to expand the advantage to 16-10. With a 19-15 lead, the Rebels used a Vanderbilt service error to spark a 6-0 run to end the set, as Tessa Jones and Placide each tallied two kills and combined on a block to take the second set, 25-15.
 
Momentum appeared to swing back in the Commodores favor, who quickly emerged with a third set lead. The lead grew to as large as 18-9, but the Rebels would not give in. A furious rally ensued, as the Rebels stormed all the way back. Two service aces from Placide and two strong kills delivered an immediate response and another kill by Tufono would help cut the lead to four. Two key blocks and a kill by Johnson got it closer and was immediately followed up by strong serving from Tufono, as the Rebels rode another run to take a 24-23 lead. Vanderbilt would save set point and ultimately get two of their own, but each time, the Rebels rallied. Cammy Niesen made of the biggest plays of the day, with a well-placed free ball that was deep enough for a kill and tied the set at 26-26. A kill from Placide and a kill from Meyer were enough from there, as the Rebels rallied to take the set, 28-26.
 
The hosts were able to regroup quickly, taking a 16-11 lead midway through the fourth set. The Rebels responded with a block and a kill from Carlton as a part of a run to cut the lead to one at 17-16. However, Vanderbilt pushed back, retaking a decisive lead and ultimately securing the fourth set, 25-19.
 
With everything on the line in the fifth, the Rebels offense clicked at the right time. As a unit, the Rebels hit .409 in the fifth set, as Placide tallied four of the first five points on kills for a 5-3 lead. Vanderbilt responded with a 4-0 run, but two well-worked connections from Tufono to Carlton helped the Rebels retake the lead. The set was tied at 10-10, before Placide took over. The junior tallied three kills and a block to build a 14-11 lead, before the final swing by Vanderbilt went wide, giving Ole Miss a 15-11 win.
 
The Rebels return home for a lengthy home swing, beginning by hosting No. 2 Texas on Friday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. CT. The match will be televised on the SEC Network.
 
Fans can continue to show support for the Rebels by joining the ACE Club. Funds from the ACE Club are a major component in helping the Ole Miss volleyball program compete at the highest level. For more information and to donate, click here.
 
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
 
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Volleyball on X at @OleMissVB, on Instagram at @olemissvb and on Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball. See exclusive photo and video content from behind the scenes and connect in real time with everything Ole Miss.
 

Next Event

Texas

Oct 24 (Fri)

7 PM
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Team Stats

UM
VU
Kills
65
55
Errors
28
24
Attempts
163
157
Hitting %
.227
.197
Points
81.0
71.0
Assists
61
52
Aces
5
5
Blocks
11
11

Game Leaders

Kills
25
Aces
2
Blocks
6
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
3

Players Mentioned

OH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
HIGHLIGHTS: VB at Vanderbilt
Sunday, October 19
HIGHLIGHTS: VB at Missouri
Friday, October 17
HIGHLIGHTS: Volleyball vs. Tennessee (10/12/25)
Sunday, October 12
HIGHLIGHTS: VB at Mississippi State
Friday, October 10