The Ole Miss volleyball program fell in its return to the Gillom Athletics Performance Center, dropping the match 3-0, against Georgia on Friday night.
Jorda Crook led the Rebels (8-9, 2-4 SEC) with 10 kills and four digs, while Keirstyn Carlton added six kills on .500 hitting. The Bulldogs (13-3, 5-1 SEC) were paced by 19 kills from Bianna Muoneke.
The Rebels got off to a promising start in the opening set, taking a 9-7 lead behind multiple kills from Crook and Shayla Meyer. Georgia responded and pushed back in front, taking a three-point lead, before a kill and block from Ryea Jackson helped the Rebels tie the set at 15-15. Ultimately, the Bulldogs delivered when it mattered most, pulling away late to secure the set, 25-20.
The Bulldogs took the momentum from the first set into the second, quickly building a 5-1 lead. Despite progress from Crook, who continued to find her swing, the Rebels were kept at a healthy distance for much of the set. The Rebels got a spark offensively from Jaidyn Hartsfield, who tallied a pair of kills, as the Rebels pushed back into the set, cutting the lead to 17-16 on a Vivianna Samaniego ace. Despite hitting .347 in the set, the Rebels finally succumbed to the Bulldogs, who ended the set on a 3-0 run and won, 25-19.
Hartsfield kept the Rebels in the set early on, tallying two kills and an ace to make it 7-7. The set remained close, until the Bulldogs created some separation into the technical timeout, leading 15-12. That would be more than enough for Georgia, who built up the lead with a 6-1 run and did not look back, winning the final set, 25-17.
The Rebels are back in action on Sunday, hosting South Carolina for a 12 p.m. CT matchup. The match will be televised on the SEC Network.