LOCATION: United Supermarkets Arena – Lubbock, Texas

SCORE: Ole Miss 3, UAlbany 1 (25-23, 25-27, 25-23, 25-19)

RECORD: UAlbany 5-7, 0-0 America East | Ole Miss 8-3, 0-0 SEC

SHORT STORY: UAlbany closed out the Red Raider Classic with a four-set battle against Ole Miss. 

COACH JOSH PICKARD: "I'm very proud of our effort today. We took an SEC team and gave them all they could handle. Our defense and block were slowing their attacks and really frustrating their hitters. We executed the things we set out to do but came up just short on a few plays."

KEY STATS

• Graduate outside hitter Shynelle Woroniuk tallied 22 kills on .346 hitting, adding 3 aces.

• Graduate opposite Kendall Harris posted 11 kills on .385 hitting with 5 blocks.

• Sophomore setter Maria Olga Siapani directed the offense with 42 assists and added 15 digs.

• Redshirt-junior libero Brooke Malek led all defenders with 28 digs and contributed 1 ace.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• UAlbany started hot in the opening set, using early kills from Harris, Woroniuk, and Wilson to build a 16-11 lead. 

• Ole Miss rallied late, tying it at 22-22, before edging the Danes with a 3-1 closing run, 25-23.

• The Great Danes answered in the second frame, trading points throughout. 

• Malek steadied the defense, and Woroniuk came through with three late kills. 

• UAlbany fought off set points before closing the frame, 27-25.

• The third set was another thriller, featuring 13 ties and nine lead changes. 

• UAlbany went ahead 20-18 on a Harris kill and Karman block, but Ole Miss responded with a 7-3 run to steal it, 25-23.

• Ole Miss carried momentum into the fourth, pulling ahead 17-13 after a mid-set surge. 

• Woroniuk put down six kills in the set to keep the Danes within striking distance, but the Rebels closed it out 25-19.
   

NEXT: UAlbany returns home to open America East play against Binghampton on Friday, Sept. 26, at 6:00 PM in the PE Gym.