Last season, the Rebels went 21-9 (10-8 in SEC play), earning a trip to the big dance for the first time in eleven years. They did so through stellar play from setter Kylee McLaughlin and middle blocker Sasha Ratliff, who both finished with All-SEC honors.
McLaughlin, along with Libero Sam Burgio, and several other seniors, is gone now and must be replaced.
This season is an important one for head coach Kayla Banwarth, as she sets out to prove last season wasn’t a fluke but was foundational to the program she’s trying to build in Oxford. Certainly there are pieces remaining for Ole Miss, but the Rebels will have to see some players emerge to take over for key pieces who have gone.