TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Auburn Tigers (14-3, 4-2) suffered a heartbreaking five-set defeat to the Alabama Crimson Tide (10-7, 2-4) Wednesday night, snapping the eight-game win streak the Tigers had going over their in-state rivals.
After the Tide took a competitive first set, the momentum quickly shifted to the side of the Tigers. Their quick response led to a dominating 25-15 victory in set two, followed by a 25-22 win in set three. Auburn had match point in set four, but gave up a 3-0 scoring run that saw the Tide land two service aces to take the set. It took extra points in set five, and again it was an Alabama service ace that sealed the win.
Fifteen service errors for the Tigers were a large contributing factor to the loss. Both sides of the service let Auburn down, as they also stacked up eight return errors.
Despite the loss, the numbers in the stat sheet were mostly solid for Auburn. They hit an effective .287, including a scorching .441 percentage in set three. The opponent’s hitting percentage was also below .200, marking a solid effort defensively.
Graduate student Bella Bell put in a tremendous performance, grabbing a career-high 22 kills with only two attack errors. She added three blocks, an assist and a dig to round out her big night.
Alexis Dacosta stood out on the defensive side for Auburn. The junior transfer accumulated 24 digs, the most for her so far in an Auburn uniform and in her career. Dacosta now has 228 digs, more than she had either season at Baylor.
Auburn was given a taste of its own medicine, as it was the spread-out Alabama attack that helped them to their first win over the Tigers since 2019. The Tide had four hitters go for double-digit kill performances. Sophie Agee and Chaise Campbell led the way with 15. The win was Alabama's first victory over a top-25 opponent since 2016.
The Tigers will look to put this match in the rearview mirror, as they prepare to travel to a dangerous Tennessee team on Sunday afternoon. The match between the Tigers and Volunteers at the Food City Center will take place Sunday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. CT. Coverage will be available on the SEC Network+.
