TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The No. 25 Auburn Tigers (14-2, 4-1) are set to travel up to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday afternoon for the second half of their home and home with the Alabama Crimson Tide (9-7, 1-4).
Their first matchup against the Tide in Neville Arena saw the Tigers take the win in four sets behind a record-setting crowd. After splitting the first two sets, Auburn won a competitive third set 29-27. The momentum carried into the decisive fourth set where coach Brent Crouch’s Tigers put the match away.
The offensive depth was on display, as four Tigers put in double-digit kill totals. Madison Scheer, Bella Bell and Bel Zimmerman continued their solid starts to the campaign, while redshirt freshman Lakin Laurendine emerged as yet another solid option from the outside.
Alabama’s star outside hitter Sophie Agee kept the match close with her 19 kills, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the stellar Tiger defense and their 11 blocks.
Since then, the Tigers won their matches over Georgia and Mississippi State, but they fell at home to Texas A&M. All three of those matches went four sets. The 4-1 conference start has the Tigers ranked 25th in the AVCA poll, marking their third straight week in the polls.
Defense has been a staple for the Tigers, as they rank first in the league in blocks per set and opponents hitting percentage, and second in digs per set. The return of Emma Moore will only bolster the defensive output for the Tigers, as the freshman still ranks fourth in the SEC in blocks per set after missing five matches.
It was also another good week for the Tigers in the conference honors category. Freshman setter Kalei Edson took home SEC Co-Freshman of the week after a 22-dig and three-ace performance against Mississippi State and will look to further her impressive form into the match against Alabama.
The Tide also scored a victory against Georgia in a five-setter before going on a two-game skid, being swept by both Missouri and Arkansas.
Their attack has been led by two standouts, Sophie Agee and Paris Thompson. The duo combines for 48% of the team's kills. The matchup between the Alabama attacking duo and the Auburn block will certainly be one to keep an eye on as the match progresses.
Auburn will look to extend their win streak against the Tide to ten when they make the road trip to Foster Auditorium. The match will be Wednesday, Oct. 16, with first serve scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. Live coverage can be found on the SECN+.
