Auburn, Ala. - The Tigers played with fire and drive against Ole Miss, taking the victory in 4 sets, only losing the first before putting together a commanding match the rest of the way. A strong showing during the third set gave the Tigers crucial momentum into the fourth, with the final set ending 27-25 in favor of the Tigers.
Following a difficult ending to a thrilling match against Florida, the Tigers looked to rebound in their game against Ole Miss. The Rebs were on a swing of momentum following a sweep of Alabama but would find much stronger opposition against Auburn in the Jungle. The crowd would be involved throughout the game, as they were in the heartbreaker against Florida.
Comparison aside, the Tigers made errors early on offense, with a few service errors clouding what would otherwise be a strong showing from the service side. Akasha Anderson led the offensive charge, with 20 kills, two blocks and an ace. Madison Scheer and Bella Bell both played excellently, with 12 and seven kills respectively. Harmon was strong on the front court, with as many blocks as the combined efforts of Ole Miss (8) followed by Bell with six. Hitting remained a struggle though, with the Tigers averaging .199. Another problem faced by the Tigers were service errors, at 10. Despite this, Auburn put on a strong display, and appeared to be the better team despite these errors.
The Tigers showed they are here to win, and it did not disappoint. The clear commitment to clean play and emphasis on competitiveness, along with crowd support and talent make the Tigers appear to be strong contenders early in SEC play.
Auburn will be back in action this Wednesday as they head to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. The match is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start and will be broadcasted on the SEC Network.
