AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn (11-1) will host the Alabama Crimson Tide (8-4). The Tide visit The Plains after a hard-fought 3-2 loss against No. 20 Tennessee in Knoxville. Alabama has been struggling lately, losing their last three matches, including a shocking 3-0 loss to Northern Alabama. Auburn has an impressive resume with a pair of top-25 wins over Florida State and Kentucky. The Tigers will look to secure their eighth consecutive Iron Bowl title against the Tide.
Auburn is coming off an exhilarating win against the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats (8-5) in their SEC opener on Friday night. The Tigers fell behind two sets to zero before rallying to win the final three sets. This was Auburn’s first win against the Wildcats since 2010, breaking a 22-match losing streak.
The Tigers will aim to shut down the Crimson Tide with their wall-like defense in this afternoon’s Iron Bowl clash. This season, they have the best opponent hitting percentage of any team in the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers excel at blocking their opponents, averaging over three blocks per set, which is not only the best in the SEC but also the ninth best in the country.
Auburn features a healthy mix of veterans and freshmen as they seek to improve upon last season’s success. The freshmen have acclimated quickly, led by superstar Lauren Dreves, who plays all six rotations for the Tigers and has provided a much-needed boost to the squad.
Alabama is not a team to be taken lightly; they are coming off a match against No. 20 Tennessee. Even though they lost, it was a hard-fought five-set match with several players delivering fantastic performances. Three players earned double-doubles in the match, including Sophie Agee (18 kills, 11 digs), Francesca Bertucci (11 assists, 21 digs), and Callie Kieffer (18 assists, 10 digs).
The Crimson Tide boast a balanced attack, ranking 10th in the SEC for kills and 6th for aces. Defensively, they are 9th in digs, averaging 13.70 per set, led by senior Francesca Bertucci, who is 6th in the SEC.
Auburn hosts Alabama this Sunday afternoon, September 29, for the Iron Bowl. First serve is at 4 p.m. CT, and the match will be streaming on the SECN, with a radio call on WEGL 91.1 FM in conjunction with the Auburn Sports Network.
