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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, September 5
Oxford, Miss.
6 PM
Ole Miss
4-2,0-0SEC
3
vs
1
Southern Miss
4-1,0-0Sun Belt
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Miss. | 30 | 25 | 23 | 14 | 1 |
| Ole Miss | 32 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Crook, Johnson Power Volleyball Past Southern Miss
9/5/2026 | Volleyball
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss volleyball program used huge performances from Jorda Crook and Melia Johnson, en route to a 3-1 win over Southern Miss on day one of the Rebel Volleyball Classic at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center.
Crook tallied a season-high 23 kills on .349 hitting for the Rebels (4-2, 0-0 SEC), while adding a career-high seven blocks and six digs. Johnson also shined, tallying 14 kills on .522 hitting against the Golden Eagles (4-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) and a career-best 14 digs for a double-double. Shayla Meyer tacked on 17 kills on .256 hitting, while Cameron Bradley added 18 digs.
The opening set proved to be a marathon affair, with neither side generating much offensive momentum, despite an early 7-1 lead for Southern Miss. Crook was the catalyst for the Rebels with nine kills in the opening set, but both teams hovered around .100 hitting percentages as a whole for the set. What was once a 12-7 Southern Miss lead slowly faded away, with Ole Miss appearing to take a commanding 23-21 lead off a Crook service ace. The Golden Eagles rallied, saving three set points, but the Rebels were able to save four, hanging on for a wild, 32-30 win.
While starting well behind a 7-3 lead, the Rebels offense sputtered and the Golden Eagles responded with an 11-2 run to take a commanding lead. Johnson delivered positive swings, but the Rebels hurt themselves with self-inflicted wounds, on hitting, setting and receiving errors, as the Golden Eagles lead rose to 19-13. Ultimately, that would be enough for Southern Miss, who held on to secure the second set, 25-20.
The third set featured a seesaw-like beginning, as neither team were able to get an edge with multiple ties and lead changes. However, the Golden Eagles appeared to gain the upper hand, taking a 14-9 lead. The Rebels would prevent Southern Miss from taking a huge lead into the break, cutting the lead to 15-12 at the media timeout. That run sparked a rally for the Rebels, with four kills from Crook to tie the match at 17-17. The set would go down to the wire, but after an emphatic swing by Ryea Jackson, the Rebels earned two set points, converting on the second one to win 25-23.
With momentum squarely on the Rebels side, the hosts delivered one of the most dominating sets of the season to clinch the win in four. Ole Miss hit a sizzling .667, making just one error and blasting 17 kills. Not only did Crook and Johnson remain hot, recording five kills each and hitting .500 and .833, respectively, but Meyer also got hot. The fifth year exploded for six kills and was a catalyst for a massive 17-4 run, as the Rebels took control. Ole Miss clinched the win in style, with back-to-back kills from Johnson to win, 25-14.
The Rebels will wrap up the Rebel Volleyball Classic on Sunday, facing off against Central Arkansas at 12 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.
Crook tallied a season-high 23 kills on .349 hitting for the Rebels (4-2, 0-0 SEC), while adding a career-high seven blocks and six digs. Johnson also shined, tallying 14 kills on .522 hitting against the Golden Eagles (4-1, 0-0 Sun Belt) and a career-best 14 digs for a double-double. Shayla Meyer tacked on 17 kills on .256 hitting, while Cameron Bradley added 18 digs.
The opening set proved to be a marathon affair, with neither side generating much offensive momentum, despite an early 7-1 lead for Southern Miss. Crook was the catalyst for the Rebels with nine kills in the opening set, but both teams hovered around .100 hitting percentages as a whole for the set. What was once a 12-7 Southern Miss lead slowly faded away, with Ole Miss appearing to take a commanding 23-21 lead off a Crook service ace. The Golden Eagles rallied, saving three set points, but the Rebels were able to save four, hanging on for a wild, 32-30 win.
While starting well behind a 7-3 lead, the Rebels offense sputtered and the Golden Eagles responded with an 11-2 run to take a commanding lead. Johnson delivered positive swings, but the Rebels hurt themselves with self-inflicted wounds, on hitting, setting and receiving errors, as the Golden Eagles lead rose to 19-13. Ultimately, that would be enough for Southern Miss, who held on to secure the second set, 25-20.
The third set featured a seesaw-like beginning, as neither team were able to get an edge with multiple ties and lead changes. However, the Golden Eagles appeared to gain the upper hand, taking a 14-9 lead. The Rebels would prevent Southern Miss from taking a huge lead into the break, cutting the lead to 15-12 at the media timeout. That run sparked a rally for the Rebels, with four kills from Crook to tie the match at 17-17. The set would go down to the wire, but after an emphatic swing by Ryea Jackson, the Rebels earned two set points, converting on the second one to win 25-23.
With momentum squarely on the Rebels side, the hosts delivered one of the most dominating sets of the season to clinch the win in four. Ole Miss hit a sizzling .667, making just one error and blasting 17 kills. Not only did Crook and Johnson remain hot, recording five kills each and hitting .500 and .833, respectively, but Meyer also got hot. The fifth year exploded for six kills and was a catalyst for a massive 17-4 run, as the Rebels took control. Ole Miss clinched the win in style, with back-to-back kills from Johnson to win, 25-14.
The Rebels will wrap up the Rebel Volleyball Classic on Sunday, facing off against Central Arkansas at 12 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.
Players Mentioned
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
USM
UM
Kills
45
61
Errors
25
26
Attempts
128
141
Hitting %
.156
.248
Points
59.0
82.0
Assists
42
57
Aces
6
7
Blocks
8
14
Game Leaders
Kills
23
Aces
3
Blocks
7
Kills
17
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
2
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Saturday, September 05
Saturday, September 05
Friday, September 04
Wednesday, September 02