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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Sunday, October 4
Oxford, Miss.
2 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Vanderbilt
Volleyball Welcomes Vanderbilt for SEC Clash
10/3/2026 | Volleyball
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss volleyball program returns to action and looking to keep the hot start to SEC play going, welcoming Vanderbilt to the Gillom Athletics Performance Center on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.
The Rebels (8-5, 2-0 SEC) are set to play host to the Commodores (10-2, 1-2 SEC), who are receiving votes in the national polls. The match will be streamed via SEC Network Plus.
RALLY POINTS
The Rebels and Commodores are set to resume a brief all-time series on Sunday, after the revival of the Vanderbilt volleyball program. The Rebels have won the only two meetings in the series, winning the first in 1979, before winning a 3-2 thriller in Nashville last season. In that meeting, Shayla Meyer tallied 14 kills and 11 digs, while Keirstyn Carlton added eight kills and three blocks on .400 hitting.
LAST TIME OUT
The Ole Miss volleyball program earned a signature victory in the SEC home opener, taking down Missouri, 3-1 on Friday night at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center. Behind sizzling offense in the opening two sets, with hitting percentages of .346 and .519, respectively, the Rebels took a big lead and never looked back. Melia Johnson led the charge, hitting .455 with 13 kills, while Jorda Crook added 13 kills and Shayla Meyer tacked on 10 more. Crook made personal history in the win, recording her 1,000th collegiate kill to contribute to the win.
CAM CAN
Ole Miss libero Cameron Bradley had a season debut to remember, tallying an NCAA leading 78 digs over the first three matches of the season on her way to SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Bradley bested her previous career-high in digs in all three matches, headlined by a 30-dig performance in the finale against LMU.
Since that time, Bradley has gotten off to a sensational start to what has been a breakout campaign. Despite missing one match, Bradley ranks second the SEC in total digs at 238, while the Austin, Texas native also leads the SEC and ranks seventh in the nation in digs per set with 4.96.
Bradley is in her first season as the starting libero following the graduation of all-time digs leader Cammy Niesen and has seamlessly stepped into the rotation. Bradley has also shined at the service line with 13 service aces this season.
TIME TO CROOK
The Rebels made a big splash in the transfer portal entering this season, adding UAB opposite Jorda Crook to the program. A native of Ohatchee, Ala., Crook made her mark in three seasons as a Blazer, earning two All-AAC First Team honors and taking home five AAC Player of the Week awards, becoming the first UAB volleyball player to ever accomplish the feat.
Crook follows a growing path of impact transfers into the program. Head coach Bre Henry and her staff have developed 400-kill hitters in back-to-back seasons, with Crook entering the fold on the heels of 394 kills as a junior at UAB.
Crook is off to a huge start to her Ole Miss tenure, tallying a team-high 167 kills, while also leading the team with 49.0 blocks and 17 service aces.
Crook made personal history on Friday night, reaching 1,000 kills in her decorated career and doing so in just 86 matches.
THE ROAD AHEAD
In addition to an already played scrimmage against Arkansas State, who reached the postseason last year, the Rebels are set to face seven teams that made the 2025 NCAA Tournament this season.
So far, the Rebels have downed Central Arkansas, who reached the tournament last season, while earning key wins over Northern Arizona, Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama and most recently, Missouri.
Additionally, the list of teams does not include several quality opponents that the Rebels are slated to face throughout conference play that did not reach the NCAA Tournament.
CLIMBING THE LADDER
Shayla Meyer enters her final collegiate season with eyes on the record books. This season, Meyer moved into a tie for possession of sixth place in the rally scoring era in service aces and now has 84 in her career. Her 32 aces in 2025 marked Meyer's second straight season with 30 or more service aces.
A third-consecutive 30-ace season would be enough to allow Meyer to become just the second Rebel in the rally scoring era to tally 100 or more service aces and put pressure on becoming the all-time leader in the era.
Additionally, Meyer also has eyes on several longer-term milestones, including 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. Meyer currently sits at 875 kills and 721 digs in her standout Rebel tenure.
SCOUTING VANDERBILT
The rapid revival of the Vanderbilt program has gotten off to a very successful start, as second-year head coach Anders Nelson has quickly turned Vanderbilt into an NCAA Tournament contender. The Commodores are 10-2 and receiving votes in the national rankings, while earning a standout win over North Carolina during the non-conference campaign.
Vanderbilt is led by Reese Animashaun and Samantha Wunsch, who each have 147 kills, with the former hitting .300. Arizona transfer Avery Scoggins has quickly become one of the top setters in the SEC, tallying 472 assists and setting up an offense that hits an SEC leading .307. However, Vanderbilt's SEC campaign has gotten off to an uneven start, with a win over LSU and losses to Missouri and nationally ranked Kentucky. If the Commodores struggle, its been on the block, largely due to injuries. Vanderbilt ranks 15th in the SEC in blocks per set at 1.78.
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.
The Rebels (8-5, 2-0 SEC) are set to play host to the Commodores (10-2, 1-2 SEC), who are receiving votes in the national polls. The match will be streamed via SEC Network Plus.
RALLY POINTS
- Ole Miss is back in action on Sunday, hosting Vanderbilt in Oxford for the first time since the revival of Vanderbilt's program.
- The Rebels are off to a 2-0 start in SEC play for the first time since 2019.
- The Rebels have developed an early tendency to finish strong. Ole Miss is a combined 13-13 in all first and second sets, but 16-10 in sets three through five.
- Libero Cameron Bradley continues to lead the SEC in digs per set at 4.96. Despite an injury marring the Kansas and Grand Canyon matches, Bradley ranks seventh nationally in the metric.
- Ole Miss is a perfect 8-0 when recording at least six service aces, compared to 0-5 across the other matches.
- The Rebels held Missouri to its third-lowest hitting percentage of the year at .212, with only Nebraska and Louisville holding the Tigers to lower hitting.
- The Rebels steamrolled Alabama last weekend, holding them to a -.022 hitting percentage. That is the first time the Rebels have held an SEC opponent to negative hitting since a 2017 win over Mississippi State.
The Rebels and Commodores are set to resume a brief all-time series on Sunday, after the revival of the Vanderbilt volleyball program. The Rebels have won the only two meetings in the series, winning the first in 1979, before winning a 3-2 thriller in Nashville last season. In that meeting, Shayla Meyer tallied 14 kills and 11 digs, while Keirstyn Carlton added eight kills and three blocks on .400 hitting.
LAST TIME OUT
The Ole Miss volleyball program earned a signature victory in the SEC home opener, taking down Missouri, 3-1 on Friday night at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center. Behind sizzling offense in the opening two sets, with hitting percentages of .346 and .519, respectively, the Rebels took a big lead and never looked back. Melia Johnson led the charge, hitting .455 with 13 kills, while Jorda Crook added 13 kills and Shayla Meyer tacked on 10 more. Crook made personal history in the win, recording her 1,000th collegiate kill to contribute to the win.
CAM CAN
Ole Miss libero Cameron Bradley had a season debut to remember, tallying an NCAA leading 78 digs over the first three matches of the season on her way to SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Bradley bested her previous career-high in digs in all three matches, headlined by a 30-dig performance in the finale against LMU.
Since that time, Bradley has gotten off to a sensational start to what has been a breakout campaign. Despite missing one match, Bradley ranks second the SEC in total digs at 238, while the Austin, Texas native also leads the SEC and ranks seventh in the nation in digs per set with 4.96.
Bradley is in her first season as the starting libero following the graduation of all-time digs leader Cammy Niesen and has seamlessly stepped into the rotation. Bradley has also shined at the service line with 13 service aces this season.
TIME TO CROOK
The Rebels made a big splash in the transfer portal entering this season, adding UAB opposite Jorda Crook to the program. A native of Ohatchee, Ala., Crook made her mark in three seasons as a Blazer, earning two All-AAC First Team honors and taking home five AAC Player of the Week awards, becoming the first UAB volleyball player to ever accomplish the feat.
Crook follows a growing path of impact transfers into the program. Head coach Bre Henry and her staff have developed 400-kill hitters in back-to-back seasons, with Crook entering the fold on the heels of 394 kills as a junior at UAB.
Crook is off to a huge start to her Ole Miss tenure, tallying a team-high 167 kills, while also leading the team with 49.0 blocks and 17 service aces.
Crook made personal history on Friday night, reaching 1,000 kills in her decorated career and doing so in just 86 matches.
THE ROAD AHEAD
In addition to an already played scrimmage against Arkansas State, who reached the postseason last year, the Rebels are set to face seven teams that made the 2025 NCAA Tournament this season.
So far, the Rebels have downed Central Arkansas, who reached the tournament last season, while earning key wins over Northern Arizona, Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama and most recently, Missouri.
Additionally, the list of teams does not include several quality opponents that the Rebels are slated to face throughout conference play that did not reach the NCAA Tournament.
CLIMBING THE LADDER
Shayla Meyer enters her final collegiate season with eyes on the record books. This season, Meyer moved into a tie for possession of sixth place in the rally scoring era in service aces and now has 84 in her career. Her 32 aces in 2025 marked Meyer's second straight season with 30 or more service aces.
A third-consecutive 30-ace season would be enough to allow Meyer to become just the second Rebel in the rally scoring era to tally 100 or more service aces and put pressure on becoming the all-time leader in the era.
Additionally, Meyer also has eyes on several longer-term milestones, including 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. Meyer currently sits at 875 kills and 721 digs in her standout Rebel tenure.
SCOUTING VANDERBILT
The rapid revival of the Vanderbilt program has gotten off to a very successful start, as second-year head coach Anders Nelson has quickly turned Vanderbilt into an NCAA Tournament contender. The Commodores are 10-2 and receiving votes in the national rankings, while earning a standout win over North Carolina during the non-conference campaign.
Vanderbilt is led by Reese Animashaun and Samantha Wunsch, who each have 147 kills, with the former hitting .300. Arizona transfer Avery Scoggins has quickly become one of the top setters in the SEC, tallying 472 assists and setting up an offense that hits an SEC leading .307. However, Vanderbilt's SEC campaign has gotten off to an uneven start, with a win over LSU and losses to Missouri and nationally ranked Kentucky. If the Commodores struggle, its been on the block, largely due to injuries. Vanderbilt ranks 15th in the SEC in blocks per set at 1.78.
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.
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
L/DS
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