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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, October 24
Oxford, Miss.
7 PM
Ole Miss
10-10,2-7SEC
1
vs
3
Texas
17-0,9-0SEC
1
2
3
4
F
Texas
35
25
21
25
3
Ole Miss
33
18
25
18
1
Volleyball Pushes No. 2 Texas to the Brink in Friday Night Thriller
10/24/2025 | Volleyball
OXFORD, Miss. – A heroic first set effort and a historic showing by Gabi Placide was not enough, as the Ole Miss volleyball program pushed the No. 2 Texas Longhorns to the brink, but fell 3-1 on Friday night at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center.
Placide led all players with 22 kills, while securing a double-double of 10 digs and adding five service aces and four blocks to pace the Rebels (10-10, 2-7 SEC) offense. Keirstyn Carlton added eight kills and matched a career-high with seven blocks, while Mokihana Tufono added 40 assists and six digs. Abby Vander Wal led the Longhorns (17-0, 9-0 SEC) with 21 kills.
Placide's 22 kills were the most by a Rebel against a top-five opponent since Katie Norris had 22 on Sep. 19, 2009 against No. 5 Florida.
Facing one of the top teams in the nation, the Rebels fell into an early 10-3 deficit, but quickly regrouped. Placide started the rally, connecting with Tufono for several kills. Placide tallied five kills and a block, before a critical service ace completed a comeback and tied the set at 15-15. The run continued with a pair of kills from Melia Johnson and the Rebels built their biggest lead of the set at 19-16.
Both sides traded blows for the remainder of the set, tying it at 23-23. An error gave Texas its first set point, but the Rebels punched back, saving four set points behind kills from Tessa Jones and Tufono to tie the match at 27-27. Another big swing by Johnson gave the Rebels their first set point, but Texas would save two from there.
Back and forth the two sides went, with Texas earning a total of seven set points in the first, while the Rebels had four chances for set point. Ultimately an out of rotation call doomed the Rebels in the set, who fell 35-33. Nevertheless, the Rebels forced the Longhorns to score 35 points to take the first set, good for the most needed by Texas since Sep. 4, 2019 against Minnesota.
Despite a huge momentum swing to Texas, the Rebels did not go away in the second set. The offense remained diverse, with Placide, Johnson and Jones impacting the offense and taking a 15-14 lead into the media timeout. A service error by Texas tied the match at 17-17, but the Longhorns put it together from there, ending the set on an 8-1 run and taking it 25-18.
The Longhorns built a 10-7 lead to open the third set, but the Rebels responded with a block from Placide and Jones and a Bella Bonanno ace to tie the match up at 10-10. Placide continued to stack kills from there, adding six more, but the Rebels would trail 21-19. Texas recorded a service error, before Placide took over on the service line. Placide delivered a masterful run of serve, recording three aces, while Carlton added a block and a kill to rally for a 6-0 run to take the set 25-21.
Ultimately, the Longhorns were able to respond in the fourth set, turning a 5-4 lead into a lofty 15-8 advantage. The Longhorns struggled with their serving, but Shayla Meyer added a pair of kills and another service ace by Placide cut the lead to 18-14. However, that would be as close as they'd get, as the Longhorns pulled away for a 25-18 match clinching fourth set.
The Rebels are back in action on Sunday, hosting another top-10 opponent in No. 9 Texas A&M. The match will get started at 2 p.m. CT and will be streamed via SEC Network Plus.
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.
Placide led all players with 22 kills, while securing a double-double of 10 digs and adding five service aces and four blocks to pace the Rebels (10-10, 2-7 SEC) offense. Keirstyn Carlton added eight kills and matched a career-high with seven blocks, while Mokihana Tufono added 40 assists and six digs. Abby Vander Wal led the Longhorns (17-0, 9-0 SEC) with 21 kills.
Placide's 22 kills were the most by a Rebel against a top-five opponent since Katie Norris had 22 on Sep. 19, 2009 against No. 5 Florida.
Facing one of the top teams in the nation, the Rebels fell into an early 10-3 deficit, but quickly regrouped. Placide started the rally, connecting with Tufono for several kills. Placide tallied five kills and a block, before a critical service ace completed a comeback and tied the set at 15-15. The run continued with a pair of kills from Melia Johnson and the Rebels built their biggest lead of the set at 19-16.
Both sides traded blows for the remainder of the set, tying it at 23-23. An error gave Texas its first set point, but the Rebels punched back, saving four set points behind kills from Tessa Jones and Tufono to tie the match at 27-27. Another big swing by Johnson gave the Rebels their first set point, but Texas would save two from there.
Back and forth the two sides went, with Texas earning a total of seven set points in the first, while the Rebels had four chances for set point. Ultimately an out of rotation call doomed the Rebels in the set, who fell 35-33. Nevertheless, the Rebels forced the Longhorns to score 35 points to take the first set, good for the most needed by Texas since Sep. 4, 2019 against Minnesota.
Despite a huge momentum swing to Texas, the Rebels did not go away in the second set. The offense remained diverse, with Placide, Johnson and Jones impacting the offense and taking a 15-14 lead into the media timeout. A service error by Texas tied the match at 17-17, but the Longhorns put it together from there, ending the set on an 8-1 run and taking it 25-18.
The Longhorns built a 10-7 lead to open the third set, but the Rebels responded with a block from Placide and Jones and a Bella Bonanno ace to tie the match up at 10-10. Placide continued to stack kills from there, adding six more, but the Rebels would trail 21-19. Texas recorded a service error, before Placide took over on the service line. Placide delivered a masterful run of serve, recording three aces, while Carlton added a block and a kill to rally for a 6-0 run to take the set 25-21.
Ultimately, the Longhorns were able to respond in the fourth set, turning a 5-4 lead into a lofty 15-8 advantage. The Longhorns struggled with their serving, but Shayla Meyer added a pair of kills and another service ace by Placide cut the lead to 18-14. However, that would be as close as they'd get, as the Longhorns pulled away for a 25-18 match clinching fourth set.
The Rebels are back in action on Sunday, hosting another top-10 opponent in No. 9 Texas A&M. The match will get started at 2 p.m. CT and will be streamed via SEC Network Plus.
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.
Team Stats
TX
UM
Kills
70
53
Errors
17
24
Attempts
161
154
Hitting %
.329
.188
Points
80.0
72.0
Assists
65
49
Aces
5
8
Blocks
5
11
Game Leaders
Kills
22
Aces
5
Blocks
4
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
7
Kills
6
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ VolleyballMB
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
MB
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
S
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