THE DAILY
MISSISSIPPIAN
Monday, September 25, 2017
Volume 106, No. 20
T H E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M I S S I S S I P P I S E R V I N G O L E M I S S A N D OX F O R D S I N C E 1 9 1 1
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Mascot vote resurfaces on an evolving campus SLADE RAND
MANAGING EDITOR
Voters will face more than just the annual personality elections on Tuesday, with a vote to support adopting a new mascot in the Landshark or standing with Rebel the Black Bear. Years ago, Rebel the Black Bear won a student election to become the new face of Ole Miss and its athletics In the 2010 decision, he polled
at 62 percent. The Landshark finished not far behind, polling at 56 percent. While the issue may have been temporarily put to bed back then, some campus leaders agree that the school the mascot is supposed to represent has evolved since then. “I think you have a different result if you did that same vote this year,” Michael Thompson said. “I think a lot has changed in seven years, but he (Rebel the Black Bear) won the vote fair and square
seven years ago.” Thompson took the position of senior associate athletics director for communications and marketing 10 days before the student referendum decided on a new mascot in 2010. He quickly became a very busy man. Since its introduction, Rebel the Black Bear has picked up a wide range of both supporters and opponents. “Rebel the Black Bear has been the unfortunate placeholder for a much needed
school mascot,” ASB President Dion Kevin III, who announced the vote, said. “It is uninspiring and does nothing to represent school spirit, and I’m certain that students feel it’s time to replace it.” Sparky Reardon was serving as dean of students in 2010 and helped advise the committee along with university attorney Lee Tyner. He said that at the time, the committee made the right choice. “The student commit-
tee that selected the bear worked extremely hard to be thorough, but in retrospect they were more cerebral than emotional and probably ‘overthought’ the process.” Thompson said once the students made their choice in 2010, he led the charge in launching the new mascot, from licensing strategies to costume design. As the debate rears its head once again
SEE MASCOT PAGE 3
Bid Day 2017: New sisters run home Freeze:
‘I hope you can forgive me’
DM STAFF REPORT
Just over three months after former Ole Miss football head coach Hugh Freeze resigned from the position, he has issued a public apology. In a 345-word statement released Saturday night, Freeze referenced a number of events that transpired over the course of his career in Oxford. Most notably, he acknowledged the now-infamous scandal involving an unspecified number of phone calls to escort services. Freeze officially resigned July 20, shortly after receiving an ultimatum from the Ole Miss athletics department. The 47-year-old Oxford native confirmed that his wife, family and two close friends knew of the phone calls before the scandal broke, and he thanked them for their strength in the public eye. Freeze also asked for forgiveness from his “Ole Miss family” for the “selfish decisions” he made as head coach.
PHOTOS BY: ARIEL COBBERT & TAYLAR TEEL
OPINION
LIFESTYLES
New sorority members, clad in jerseys, face paint and glitter, filled Sorority Row and Rebel Drive on Sunday morning as they ran to their new houses, where they greeted each other with open arms. SEE BID DAY PAGE 4
IN THIS ISSUE... LIFESTYLES
Germany’s take on monuments
Word on the street: Freshmen
Bid Day: What’s next?
PAGE 2
THEDMONLINE.COM
PAGE 5
How Germany’s response to its Nazi history could be applied to the statue debate on campus
We talked on video with some new Rebels about their first classes and life at Ole Miss
Find out what you can expect after running home to your dream house
Daily Mississippian sports columnist Flint Christian responds to Freeze’s apology.
SEE PAGE 6
SPORTS
Volleyball wins 3-1 on Sunday
After a crazy third game, the Rebels get their first SEC win over Alabama PAGE 8
OPINION
PAGE 2 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 25 SEPTEMBER 2017
THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN EDITORIAL STAFF: LANA FERGUSON editor-in-chief
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SLADE RAND managing editor
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JOHN TOULOUPIS assistant news editor
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SAM HARRES GRAYSON WEIR sports editors
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MARLEE CRAWFORD TAYLAR TEEL photography editors
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DEVNA BOSE lifestyles editor
thedmfeatures@gmail.com
JONATHAN GIBSON assistant lifestyles editor
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COLUMN
What to do with the statue? Ask Germany
LIAM NIEMAN opinion editor
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STAFF COLUMNIST
As I was traveling through Germany waiting for my study Blake Hein abroad program to start, I dmads@olemiss.edu couldn’t help but notice all the monuments, memorials and SALES ACCOUNT museums dedicated to the vicEXECUTIVES tims of the Nazi regime. Cameron Collins I only stayed in Berlin for Sam Dethrow a few days, but it was hard to Ethan Gray walk far without finding a monKathryn Hathorne ument, memorial, museum or other remembrance of those S. GALE DENLEY affected by the Holocaust. STUDENT MEDIA CENTER The symbols of hate — the swastikas and statues of milPATRICIA THOMPSON itary leaders — have been deAssistant Dean Student Media stroyed or moved to museums. Daily Mississippian Faculty What remains is a history lesAdviser son, a place for solemn remembrance, a decision to never forFOLLOW US ON get. If we forget history, we may SOCIAL MEDIA THE DM NEWS TWITTER @thedm_news
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repeat it. Imagine how strange I would have felt if I were welcomed to Germany and saw a statue memorializing the Nazi soldiers. It’s not that the statue itself could do anything harmful, but it would perpetuate the negative symbolism it was first created to represent. The statues and swastikas were erected to remind the people who was in charge and what that institution stood for. That is why I find it strange that when I walk on my home campus, I’m welcomed by a memorial for soldiers who fought and died for another regime of terror. This regime, the Confederacy, also used forced labor to fund its efforts and killed many based on genetic traits. The Germans I spoke with seemed to have no problem with the symbols of their country’s detestable past being removed; they weren’t proud of that part of their nation’s history. Why, then, are there some Southerners, some in this very university, who insist the Confederate soldier is the best representation of their heritage? These monuments represent
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a movement to undermine the American values of equality and freedom by enslaving and destroying a people systematically. Let us not forget that the soldier that stands on our campus today committed treason against our nation. This symbol does not represent the University of Mississippi today. These are not our values. Some may argue that taking down the statue would be a removal of history. The opposite has been true in Germany, though. As past symbols of hate and evil came down, museums came up in their place. The former SS Headquarters was transformed into a museum and memorial after being destroyed. Only a few broken pillars remain, symbolizing the total destruction of Nazi ideals in Germany. Why are we afraid of taking down the symbol of hateful ideals in our own communities, even decades later? When I told friends from other countries that my home university still had a Confederate statue standing, even with a contextualization plaque, some were shocked, but most were appalled.
The Daily Mississippian is published Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays in print during the academic year, on days when classes are scheduled. New content is published online seven days a week. Columns do not represent the official opinions of The University of Mississippi or The Daily Mississippian unless specifically indicated. The Daily Mississippian welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be e-mailed to dmletters@olemiss.edu. Letters should be typed, double-spaced and no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for clarity, space or libel. Third-party letters and those bearing pseudonyms, pen names or “name withheld” will not be published. Publication is limited to one letter per individual per calendar month. Letters should include phone and email contact information so that editors can verify authenticity. Letters from students should include grade classification and major; letters from faculty and staff should include title and the college, school or department where the person is employed.
I would like to see the money from my tuition go to moving the statue to a museum instead of having it repaired from the recent accident. Perhaps the money we would save from repair could go into a new statue in its place: a statue that represents our university today, not the hate of the 1800s. Even a toppled, broken Confederate soldier would better represent our university, just as the toppled pillars of the old SS Headquarters better represent the Germany of today than the old structure did. As communities across the nation proclaim they don’t want Confederate ideals symbolized in their public spaces, now is the time for the statue to come down in our own public space. Our university should be an example to the nation of how a community with a troubled past can find a way forward, into new symbols of acceptance and unity. Daniel Payne is a sophomore integrated marketing communications major from Collierville, Tennessee.
NEWS
THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 25 SEPTEMBER 2017 | PAGE 3
MASCOT
continued from page 1 this year, Thompson said he sees some similarities. “It’s not quite deja vu, but it definitely brings up memories,” he said. “Let’s put it that way.” The fate of the school’s plush foam leader has been up in the air since Ole Miss Athletics formally removed Colonel Rebel from the sidelines in 2003. After nearly seven years without a cartoon face to rally behind, a student committee decided to adopt the Black Bear as the university’s official mascot in 2010. “… That is when there was a referendum much different than the one now that we’re seeing,” committee co-chair and 2013 graduate Margaret Ann Morgan said. “Something along the lines of would you support the process to begin searching for an on field mascot.” ASB and the university opted to form a student committee to handle the process after the initial poll, which is when Morgan became involved. She said the committee created a rubric of what a mascot for Ole Miss should represent and stuck to it. Criteria included the mascot’s timelessness, perception by children and how it would reflect the university. “The students around the table, not everyone was on the same page with what they personally liked, but it was known that students liked the Landshark, but we said, again, we were going to go by that rubric and were going to go by the polling percentages that we received back, and so that’s how we came to the Black Bear,” she said. This year’s referendum on adopting the Landshark as school mascot comes a year after Ole Miss Athletics announced its own Landshark licensing program. Last September, Athletics announced a partnership with ROTC to offer vendor licenses to sell Landshark-branded products. A portion of the proceeds from those Landshark products helps fund Ole Miss ROTC scholarships in memory of former Rebel linebacker and U.S. Army veteran Tony Fein. In a press release announc-
PHOTO BY: TAYLAR TEEL
Rebel the Black Bear gets the crowd going at the first football game of the 2017 season. tried to leverage some of that,” Thompson said. “If you go to a football game, you’re going to see a lot of Landshark.” Student leaders picked up on the Landshark’s expanding influence on Ole Miss’s campus as far as three years ago, when the push for a Landshark mascot began. 2016 graduate Jack Pickering said he met with Athletics representatives in 2014 to discuss the growing Landshark brand on campus. “In 2014, during my time as a student, I, along with other student leaders, met with the administration in the goal of implementing an in-stadium shark tank to give Ole Miss a highly unique stadium experience and to enhance the game atmosphere,” Pickering said. This semester, Pickering called ASB President Kevin to further discuss a possible change in mascot. Pickering said he supports the Landshark because it will give the Ole Miss family something to be excited for during the pending NCAA investigation. “On Aug. 30 ... I encouraged Dion to lead a student-driven grassroots movement that unites the student body and give every student a voice to help implement a positive change,” he said. Kevin said an official mascot change has the ability to make the ROTC program at Ole Miss one of the best in the Southeast. Thompson expressed a similar hope that if the school
ing the partnership, Ole Miss Athletics explained the Landshark’s origins. “Roots of the Landshark and ‘Fins Up’ cry at Ole Miss date back to 2008. As part of the football defensive unit’s identity, players celebrate big plays by putting a hand to their forehead in the shape of a shark fin,” the press release states. “The term Landshark originated that season from senior linebacker Tony Fein, an Army veteran who served a one-year tour in the Iraq War before arriving in Oxford.” Thompson said the program honors Fein’s life and embodies the Rebel defense’s signature attack. “It was probably three-and-ahalf years ago that we, Ross and I, were talking to Tony Fein’s mom and really trying to find a way to honor him and at the same time put out a licensing program that the Ole Miss fan base can get behind,” Thompson said. He said that in the months since the program has been open to license applications, vendors have excitedly applied to sell Landshark gear. Thompson said the Landshark has grown popular among not only Ole Miss fans but the athletic teams themselves. From shark projections in the stadium to Landshark images on the video screens, the symbol has made its way into Ole Miss game day culture. “It’s caught on, and we’ve
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FILE PHOTO
Terry Caldwell throws up the Landshark after making a tackle last year. HOW TO VOTE 1. Go to myOleMiss 2. Log in 3. Click the ‘student’ tab 4.HOW Click the involved’ tab 5. Click ‘vote in student TO ‘get VOTE elections’ WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT 1. Landshark as mascot 2. Mr. Ole Miss 3. Miss Ole Miss 4. Homecoming Court 5. Campus Favorites Voting is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on myOleMiss Vote will be announced at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night at the Lyceum
does adopt the Landshark, its branding will join the already functioning ROTC partnership program. He said ASB executives met with him earlier this year to discuss the Landshark program’s future and where it stands now. “We had a great talk with Dion and told him where we stood with the licensing program and again answered some technical questions,” Thompson said. Should the Landshark win Tuesday’s election Thompson said he imagines Athletics would look at an additional logo, adding to the mark and revisiting the branding program. Kevin said he is unsure what a new logo would look like, but it will likely keep some of the same logo designs currently
used in Landshark branding. “It has a story behind it. It inspires excitement, and it unifies our fan base,” Kevin said. “Additionally, it is already marketed in our merchandising and advertising.” Morgan said that when she helped steer the ship through the 2010 mascot selection process, she could not count how many mascot design recommendations the committee received. At the end of the day, she said she supported the mascot that would best serve Ole Miss’ future. “Any time that you have a place that is welcoming to everyone, it makes it better,” Morgan said. “And when you have leaders who support that, it is stronger.”
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PAGE 4 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 25 SEPTEMBER 2017
LIFESTYLES
d i B DAY 2017
PHOTOS BY: ARIEL COBBERT & TAYLAR TEEL
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LIFESTYLES
THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 25 SEPTEMBER 2017 | PAGE 5
Post-Bid Day survival: A (mostly) unabridged guide JONATHAN GIBSON
ASSISTANT LIFESTYLES EDITOR
It’s quiet now. The streets are littered with the tattered remains of discarded tutus and spilled glitter paint. Across the Grove, a girl sits clutching a crumpled piece of paper; she talks to an unknown voice on the phone. “It’s the wrong one, mom. They weren’t supposed to pick me.” Two men in matching navy blazers, their brass buttons twinkling in the afternoon sun, solemnly exchange fist bumps. A white pickup truck drives slowly along Sorority Row. A man with furrowed brows and weathered skin walks alongside it, bending down to pick up each noisemaker, Solo cup and piece of confetti tossed into the air by the raving masses that flooded the streets just hours before. Sigh. “I’m too old for this,” he says. As the sun sets and another Bid Day is tucked away in the history books of Ole Miss, some young men and women are left to wonder what comes next. Others will be overwhelmed by the fact that their family tree has suddenly gained 700 more branches overnight. Lucky for them, Ole Miss has a great landscaping team. No matter what feelings you have, if you made it through rush, you’ll need a guide to help you survive these postBid Day times. Otherwise,
you might find yourself being eaten alive by wild bears or attacked by masked crusaders in cars made from junkyard scraps. Wait, no, sorry — that’s “Mad Max.” Didn’t rush? This guide is for you, too. If you’ve been wondering where your friends went this past week, they’re still alive, and they’re finally free to go see that movie or grab some dinner at the Union. Maybe. They might just be avoiding you. Who knows? Don’t get confused if they start talking about parties you weren’t at or they send you texts asking you to buy tickets to some event with puppies, pancakes or small children. It’s all part of the experience. Parking might still be a nightmare, but at least now your chances of finding a spot near the Tad Pad or by the Turner Center are 10 times higher. If you survived rush, here’s what comes next for you: 1. When you’ve caught your breath from that exciting run to your new home, take some time to carb up. This is the moment — the thing you’ve been looking forward to all of rush. The food at these houses is the envy of literally every person on campus. Get an extra scoop of macaroni and cheese and get ready to never be unsatisfied with your lunch again. 2. If you thought you’d al-
the ole miss 2017-2018 yearbook class portraits seniors: Schedule appointment at www.ouryear. com. School code: 141 or call 1-800687-9327
ready taken more pictures than humanly possible, think again. They never stop. Get one from this angle. No, THIS angle. OK, now a funny one. OK, line up by height. No, in reverse order. By birthday. Find someone you don’t know. Let’s do a jumping one. Wait, sorry, my flash wasn’t on. Can you get one with my phone? 3. Moms, dads, if you’re reading this, please go home. We will send you the pictures tomorrow. Yes, we can help you get them on Facebook. Yes, we’ll call. Yes, we’re having fun. We have to go mingle with our new brothers/sisters, and the upperclassmen are totally judging us right now. 4. If you don’t have a monogrammed planner yet, you’re going to need to get one yesterday. Your schedule is about to be filled with more mandatory events than your Erin Condren calendar can fit on its special add-on mandatory event booklet that you got for SUCH a good deal. But seriously, keep track of these meetings, date parties and other gatherings because not only are they required, but you’ll also miss out on important bonding time with new potential friends if you try to skip out. One of these mandatory events you’ll soon learn to love is your weekly chapter meeting. Even if you have no idea what you’re voting on, what events you’re planning or what chapter executives you’re hearing talk, you’ll love learning all the intricacies of house politics and growing closer to all your new friends. New members, these are your glory days. This is your chance to finally release all the anxieties that rush might have
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PAGE 6 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 25 SEPTEMBER 2017
Dear Hugh Freeze: Why now?
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Miss family, and I am asking you to forgive me for what I’ve done. I miss being a part of Ole Miss but will be pulling for our team every Saturday this season. To my faith family, I ask for your forgiveness and appreciate your prayers as well. I have experienced unbelievable grace from above, from friends, and especially from Jill. Her strength and love through this storm have been incredible. Neither she nor our girls ever asked to live their lives in the public eye, but they have handled this with grace and dignity. Words cannot express our gratitude for the outpouring of prayers, love, and forgiveness we have received from many of you. We have some incredible memories to hold onto from our time at Ole Miss, and want to thank you for blessing us over the last 5 years. While I realize there’s no good answer for the pain I’ve caused, I hope you can forgive me. Sincerely, Hugh Freeze
6
This past weekend, you apologized to the Ole Miss family with an open letter about your failings and hopes for the future. The apology was a well-formed statement from a downtrodden coach who could have stayed in the dark, living off the riches success at Ole Miss provides. To your credit, you didn’t. You said you believe you owe the Ole Miss family an apology for the pain and disappointment you’ve caused us. We agree. The honest truth is you don’t “owe” Ole Miss much. You gave us victories over Alabama (twice). You gave us first-round picks and five-star recruits. We could see what you were building when your teams won seven games in your first year, eight in your second, nine in your third and 10 in your fourth. We finally had well-founded hope in consistent winning seasons and a bump-up to the SEC’s first tier. And then the NCAA showed up and proved things that look too good to be
While I realize a statement from me could be met with criticism and more negative attention, I believe I owe the Ole Miss family an apology for the pain and disappointment I’ve caused them. With this being an open week for the football team, and with the NCAA hearing behind us, this seemed to be the right time for me to speak from my heart. As you know, in July of this year Ross Bjork asked me about a concerning number discovered in my phone records. In the days that followed, I shared with him the truth about my past, ultimately resulting in my resignation. It’s a truth I’d already shared with my wife, Jill, and with two of my closest friends months earlier. While some of the things being reported about the matter are inaccurate, or in some cases completely false, it’s much more important for me to tell you that what I did was wrong, and there’s no justification for me making the selfish decisions that I knowingly made. I know I’ve hurt many people, especially those in the Ole
Sudoku #7 2 9 1 3 4 3 4 7 6 5 6 5 8 9 1 7 3 5 1 6 8 2 6 5 7 4 1 9 2 8 1 6 4 7 9 9 7 2 8 3 8 3 4 2
STAFF WRITER
STATEMENT OF APOLOGY
is hurtful. There is no room for this line in a sincere, purposeful apology. It shows you’re still worried about your public image, and that begs the question: Was the apology just a publicity act? Were these your actual, heartfelt words, or is a publicist helping you find a new job? There are a lot of question marks. That being said, we still believe in you, Hugh Freeze. A lot of us hope you are a good man who is struggling with — but solving — some issues in your life. And after two months, you finally gave Ole Miss fans the chance to forgive you for your personal failings, and you acknowledged that there is not a good answer for the pain you’ve caused. Hugh, we have moved on, and though it may take some time, all will be forgiven eventually. But you’re right. There isn’t a good answer to any of this. We just had hoped there was a better one. We deserved a better one. Sincerely, The Ole Miss Family
5
FLINT CHRISTIAN
true often are. There is another truth to this story, though. You are right. You owed us an apology, and you have since July 20, 2017. Where was it? For two months since your resignation, we’ve listened to rumors about your well-being and the NCAA. We have spent two months trying to concentrate through a storm of off-field controversies about a hopeful football team with your fingerprints all over it. We have spent two months deserving more than this apology you gave us, and we deserved it sooner. In fairness, you have struggled with apologies in the past. Your first remarks after you resigned were cheesy, typical and focused on you and your image. This apology goes further, but not as far as we expected. So it appears you acknowledge your mistakes only to try to defend your image once again. Saying, “While some of the things being reported about the matter are inaccurate, or in some cases completely false …”
SPORTS
THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 25 SEPTEMBER 2017 | PAGE 7
VOLLEYBALL
continued from page 8 massive block that put the Rebels within one. A quick error and unsuccessful opposing challenge later, and the set was tied at 24 with the Rebels at the line. “We didn’t have any type of fear,” Scott said. “We just went hard and had the confidence that we are going to win.” That’s when Gibson came through once again and put a back-row attack through an Alabama triple block for a Rebel match point. “I think (back-row attacks) came very natural at the beginning of the season,” Gibson said. “And then for some reason, all the attacks lost the connection. Today, I knew to just swing. Trust our setters and swing.” A Thompson smash later and Ole Miss took the game
PHOTO BY: BILLY SCHUERMAN
Rebel players celebrate after gaining a point in a match against Austin Peay earlier this season. and a one-set match lead, “We had multiple people step up with either blocks 26-24. “We just got on a really good run,” McRoberts said.
or kills, just a great run for us. I can’t remember being a part of something like that when an opposing team has a set point on one of my teams.” The fourth game proved to be just as gritty, with neither team able to pull ahead through the first 36 points of the match, tied at 18. After an Alabama error, Gibson stepped to the line to serve and dropped a floater right at the 10-foot line for a two-point lead. After a Thompson kill and a Crimson Tide error, the Rebels led 22-18. Trading points again for a moment, the Rebels took a timeout up 23-21 and came out locked in. Setter Jordan Fate placed the ball beautifully on the right side for Stroup to put the ball down and give the Rebels match point. Doing what she does, Thompson put the match
away. “Back and forth, back and forth, it seemed like neither team could get more than a two-point lead until us at the end,” McRoberts said. “It came down to timely serving, and, of course, Lexi had a few kills and the one that finished it at the end.” The Rebels gained the 3-1 victory with a score of 18-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-22. Ole Miss will hit the road Wednesday for a mid-week matchup against in-state rival Mississippi State, a game for which coach McRoberts is preaching consistency “That was also one of the things we talked about after the match on Friday,” McRoberts said. “We just need to be more consistent. We can’t have two players playing lights out. We need contributions from everybody to win.”
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SPORTS
PAGE 8 | THE DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN | 25 SEPTEMBER 2017
Wild third-set win carries volleyball to victory
GRAYSON WEIR SPORTS EDITOR
Looking to rebound from their Friday night loss to Auburn, the Rebels took to the court in a mid-afternoon Sunday, ending in a 3-1 victory against the Alabama Crimson Tide. To the tune of missed serves, hitting errors and a clear lack of rhythm, the Rebels left themselves with a 5-12 first-game, seven-point deficit in front of their home crowd. After falling behind early, something clicked, but the lead was just out of reach. Anchored by strong swings from Emily Stroup on the right side and a smattering of kills from the middle, Ole Miss pulled within two at 14-16. Trading points for a moment, Alabama was eventually able to pull away and took the first set 18-25. After starting similarly to Friday’s loss, the Rebels came out with a vengeance in the second set, hoping to turn the weekend around and avoid a case of deja vu. With the Rebels jumping out to a 7-2 lead, the Crimson Tide wanted to talk it over. Coming out of the Tide timeout, senior outside hitter Kate
PHOTO BY: BILLY SCHUERMAN
Caitlin Wernentin spikes the ball during a match against Austin Peay earlier this season. The deficit only lasted a Gibson seemingly floated from the back row and put an moment. Gibson tapped in to her veteran role and came electric swing straight down. However, the Rebels alive, recording two aces, four couldn’t capitalize on the mo- kills and five digs in the secmentum and let the Tide back ond game. While Gibson was in the game to rally to a one- the clear catalyst, the Rebels’ 25-21 second-set victory saw point lead at 8-9.
key swings from Bayleigh Scott and Lexi Thompson. “As a team, going from the first set to the second set, we said, ‘Someone needs to step up and play,’” Gibson said. “I think by telling people in the huddle that you’re go-
ing to be the difference, I kind of convinced myself to be the difference and think it switched the momentum for the whole day.” In the most competitive set from the get-go, both teams traded points, kills and errors. The first timeout for Ole Miss came down 14-15 and proved ineffective. Three sloppy errors led to coach McRoberts calling his second timeout at 14-18. Still unable to find a spark, the Rebels fell behind 15-22 and took their third and final timeout of the set. Down to its final point, Ole Miss saw hitters Caitlin Wernentin, Thompson and Gibson get in some hard kills to bring the score to 20-24, forcing Alabama to call its second timeout. Following the stoppage of play, a crazy rally was put to rest by Thompson on the block and followed up by a Scott stuff that brought about Alabama’s final timeout at 22-24. “I knew that I needed to step up,” Scott said. “I just did whatever I could to be the best teammate I could be.” Nothing could stop the Rebels this time. Down two, Scott made her presence felt once more and put up a
SEE VOLLEYBALL PAGE 7
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