The University of Mississippi Athletics
Sunday, November 2
Baton Rouge, La.
1 PM
Ole Miss
11-12,3-9SEC
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LSU
11-12,4-8SEC
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Ole Miss
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LSU
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Johnson’s Career Day Not Enough as Volleyball Drops Heartbreaker at LSU
11/2/2025 | Volleyball
BATON ROUGE, La. – Despite a diverse offensive attack, the Ole Miss volleyball program was unable to hang on, falling 3-2 to LSU on Sunday afternoon at the Maravich Center.
Melia Johnson led the Rebels (11-12, 3-9 SEC) with a career-high 21 kills on .432 hitting, while adding three blocks. Several other Rebels shined including Gabi Placide, who finished with 19 kills and a season-high 14 digs. Shayla Meyer turned in another double-double of 17 kills and 12 digs, while Mokihana Tufono finished with a season-high 56 assists and added 12 digs. Jurnee Robinson paced the Tigers (11-12, 4-8 SEC) with 27 kills.
Additionally, libero Cammy Niesen recorded 16 digs to move into sole possession of 10th all-time in SEC history at 1,765 digs, passing Tennessee's Chloe Goldman.
The Rebels came out of the gate with tons of energy, attacking at will on the LSU defense. The Rebels hit .432 in the set, spreading the wealth throughout the offense. Johnson shined in particular, tallying six kills on .750 hitting, as the Rebels surged to a 22-13 advantage. Despite a mild answer from the Tigers, Placide locked down the opening set win with a pair of kills to clinch a 25-20 victory.
Ole Miss continued the strong run of form with a 6-2 start to the second set, but the Tigers were able to push back into the set. Placide and Keirstyn Carlton went back-and-forth with the Tiger hitters, taking an 18-17 lead. However, an 8-1 run would doom the Rebels, who dropped the set 25-19.
Both offenses continued to surge, with the Rebels opening up a slight 7-5 lead. The Rebels turned to Meyer for some key swings and extended the lead to 15-12 at the media timeout. Tufono took over out of the break, with a pair of blocks to help the Rebels jump ahead 20-15. The Tigers did not go away, saving multiple set points at 24-21. However, Johnson delivered the final blow on a swing that was initially called no touch, but reversed upon a challenge by head coach Bre Henry, to take the set 25-23.
However, the momentum swung back to LSU in the fourth set, as the hosts found form. LSU surged to an 18-10 lead in the fourth, but the Rebels did not go away. Johnson was the catalyst for a comeback, notching five kills and two blocks as the Rebels immediately responded with a 10-3 run to cut the LSU lead to one. A kill from Meyer and another by Carlton would give the Rebels a match point at 24-23, but the Tigers saved it and went on to hold on for a 26-24 win.
Both sides fought nerves to open the fifth set, with each of first seven points ending in an attacking or service error. Johnson and Jones found some momentum with a kill each and a big block by Tufono and Carlton to make it 9-7. A 5-0 run by LSU turned the tide, but the Rebels fought the entire way. A block and two big swings from Placide cut the LSU lead to 14-13, but the Tigers were able to reverse the final point on a challenge and secure the match, 15-13.
The Rebels turn their attention to another road matchup, facing Georgia in Athens on Friday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. CT. The match 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.
Melia Johnson led the Rebels (11-12, 3-9 SEC) with a career-high 21 kills on .432 hitting, while adding three blocks. Several other Rebels shined including Gabi Placide, who finished with 19 kills and a season-high 14 digs. Shayla Meyer turned in another double-double of 17 kills and 12 digs, while Mokihana Tufono finished with a season-high 56 assists and added 12 digs. Jurnee Robinson paced the Tigers (11-12, 4-8 SEC) with 27 kills.
Additionally, libero Cammy Niesen recorded 16 digs to move into sole possession of 10th all-time in SEC history at 1,765 digs, passing Tennessee's Chloe Goldman.
The Rebels came out of the gate with tons of energy, attacking at will on the LSU defense. The Rebels hit .432 in the set, spreading the wealth throughout the offense. Johnson shined in particular, tallying six kills on .750 hitting, as the Rebels surged to a 22-13 advantage. Despite a mild answer from the Tigers, Placide locked down the opening set win with a pair of kills to clinch a 25-20 victory.
Ole Miss continued the strong run of form with a 6-2 start to the second set, but the Tigers were able to push back into the set. Placide and Keirstyn Carlton went back-and-forth with the Tiger hitters, taking an 18-17 lead. However, an 8-1 run would doom the Rebels, who dropped the set 25-19.
Both offenses continued to surge, with the Rebels opening up a slight 7-5 lead. The Rebels turned to Meyer for some key swings and extended the lead to 15-12 at the media timeout. Tufono took over out of the break, with a pair of blocks to help the Rebels jump ahead 20-15. The Tigers did not go away, saving multiple set points at 24-21. However, Johnson delivered the final blow on a swing that was initially called no touch, but reversed upon a challenge by head coach Bre Henry, to take the set 25-23.
However, the momentum swung back to LSU in the fourth set, as the hosts found form. LSU surged to an 18-10 lead in the fourth, but the Rebels did not go away. Johnson was the catalyst for a comeback, notching five kills and two blocks as the Rebels immediately responded with a 10-3 run to cut the LSU lead to one. A kill from Meyer and another by Carlton would give the Rebels a match point at 24-23, but the Tigers saved it and went on to hold on for a 26-24 win.
Both sides fought nerves to open the fifth set, with each of first seven points ending in an attacking or service error. Johnson and Jones found some momentum with a kill each and a big block by Tufono and Carlton to make it 9-7. A 5-0 run by LSU turned the tide, but the Rebels fought the entire way. A block and two big swings from Placide cut the LSU lead to 14-13, but the Tigers were able to reverse the final point on a challenge and secure the match, 15-13.
The Rebels turn their attention to another road matchup, facing Georgia in Athens on Friday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. CT. The match 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
UM
LS
Kills
70
70
Errors
27
19
Attempts
189
165
Hitting %
.228
.309
Points
83.0
79.0
Assists
64
70
Aces
4
1
Blocks
9
8
Game Leaders
Kills
21
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
19
Aces
3
Blocks
3
Kills
17
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
MB
/ VolleyballOH
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ VolleyballOH
/ Volleyball
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