Aug. 23, 2012

OXFORD, Miss. - After weeks of grueling preseason conditioning and training, the 2012 Ole Miss volleyball team is ready to face an opponent other than itself. The Rebels will do just that Friday when they face Miami (Fla.) at 6:00 p.m. CT in the Hurricane Invitational in Coral Gables, Fla.

"We're excited to take the court and start the 2012 season," Ole Miss head coach Joe Getzin said. "We've worked hard in the preseason and we're looking forward to putting that hard work on the court in what is sure to be a great tournament."

The Hurricane Invitational will mark the start of Getzin's 11th year guiding the Rebels' volleyball program. Under Getzin's guidance and tutelage, Ole Miss has earned its only three NCAA Tournament appearances.

The 2012 Rebels enter the year hoping to make the program's fourth appearance in the tournament. Ole Miss will be led in its pursuit of that goal by a strong five-member senior class of Ashley Anderson, Whitney Craven, Amanda Philpot, Ashley Veach and Allegra Wells. And while the team has plenty of experience, it also has a strong freshmen contingent with five true freshmen entering the fold, and a pair of redshirt freshmen looking to get their first action this season.

The home-standing Hurricanes enter Friday's match and the 2012 season coming off a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament one year ago where they also finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 26-5 record. Entering her 12th year at the helm of the Hurricanes, Miami is led by head coach Nicole Lantagne Welch.

Following Friday's match against Miami, Ole Miss will face a tough doubleheader Saturday against Samford, which advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, and Wofford.

"We're going to face three teams in Miami (Fla.), Samford and Wofford that each have their own unique style that will help prepare us for the SEC season," Getzin said. "It will be a really challenging tournament, and one that we can learn a lot from."

Wells and Philpot return to the court for Ole Miss this season coming off strong junior campaigns that saw them lead the team in kills and assists, respectively. Playing on the right side, Wells is one of the Southeastern Conference's top athletes, finishing fourth in the long jump at the SEC Indoor Track & Field Championships in February. Philpot enters 2012 as one of the conference's top offensive threats at setter.

For all Ole Miss volleyball news and information, including recaps, live stats and results, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissVB and go to Facebook at Ole Miss Volleyball.