AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn Tigers (14-6) return to Neville Arena to play host to the Ole Miss Rebels (13-7) in hopes of ending their longest losing streak of the season.
Auburn (4-5 SEC) is coming off another loss to South Carolina in four sets. After losing a competitive first two sets, the Tigers were able to bounce back and grab the third set 25-16 before dropping the final set 25-20. This is the Tigers’ fourth consecutive loss, with their last win against Mississippi State on Oct. 13.
Ole Miss will also enter Wednesday night on a losing streak, having lost two straight and four of their last five. The Rebels are going to try to right the ship after getting swept by No. 14 Kentucky on Sunday. The Rebels have also lost two straight against the Tigers, last beating Auburn in 2021 at Neville Arena in four sets.
The Tigers will look to lean on their outside hitters for production in this one, as they will try to get good opportunities for stars like Madison Scheer and Bel Zimmerman to punish the opposing defense. Both junior hitters will try to add to their already impressive offensive season totals, both amassing over 200 kills this season. Defensively, the Tigers will look for their leader in total blocks this season, Chelsea McCurdy, to suppress the Ole Miss front line.
A player to watch for the Rebels will be Nia Washington, the team's star player and leader in most offensive categories. While she leads the Rebels in total kills, she also leads them in kills per set, making her a player that the Tigers will have to game plan for. Cammy Niesen is an impact player defensively for Ole Miss, as she is third in the SEC in total digs and digs per set.
The overall series between the Rebels and Tigers is relatively close, with the slight edge going to Auburn 18-15. However, in recent years the series has been dominated by Auburn, with eight of the last 10 meetings going in favor of the Tigers. Auburn will look to continue their recent success against the Rebels Wednesday night.
This late in the season, SEC standings are at the focal point of each teams message going into the home stretch of the season. Entering Wednesday night, Auburn is sitting at seventh in the SEC, while is Ole Miss sitting at tenth. A win for either team would boost their rankings and set them up nicely for the end of the season.
First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night, and it is Trick-or-Treat Takeover at Neville Arena. You can watch on SECN+ and listen on WEGL 91.1 FM or the Auburn Sports Network.
