The volleyball team came away with mixed results from the two opening games of the SEC season.
Auburn was defeated by LSU last Thursday, 3-1 (set scores: 25-22, 20-25, 17-25, 20-25), but pulled a win against Arkansas Sunday, 3-2 (25-20, 18-25, 25-16, 18-25, 15-10).
Wade Benson, head coach, said the team's main weakness right now is serving.
"We had double-digit errors in serving, and if we want to be a tough team both on the road and at home, we need our serves to be in and consistent," Benson said.
Some highlights of the LSU game included sophomore outsider hitter Sarah Bullock's 14 kills and 12 digs; freshman setter Chelsea Wintzinger's career-high of 26 assists; and senior libero Liz Crouch's season-best 26 digs.
Benson said he knew the team had it in them, even with the challenge of a five- set game away from the team's home turf.
Players that stood out during the Arkansas game included Bullock, who tallied her third double-double of the season, finishing with 11 kills and a career-high 21 digs; junior setter Christina Solverson, who had 24 assists; and senior blocker Lauren Mellor, who totaled five blocks.
The Tigers are now 10-4 overall and 1-1 in the SEC.
The team will be back at home this weekend after three weeks of away games.
The Tigers will face the University of Kentucky Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. and the University of Tennessee Sept. 26 at 1:30 p.m.
Johns said neither the loss to LSU nor the win against Arkansas will slow the team's focus for this weekend.
"The next day, you have to come out and pretend none of that happened," Johns said. "You have to focus on the next team. We focus on this weekend, which is Tennessee and Kentucky. We don't talk about Arkansas anymore."
The match against Kentucky will be the first SEC game of the season at Auburn, excluding the War Eagle Invitational.
Kentucky stands at 7-5 overall and 1-1 in the SEC with its recent win against South Carolina.
In the Auburn Volleyball Report with Andy Burcham, Benson said he sees Kentucky as beatable.
"There are some holes," Benson said. "This might be one where we can break through against a top-25 team and get a legitimate win."
Tennessee was picked to win the SEC this season. It stands at 9-2 overall and 1-1 in the SEC with its weekend loss to Florida.
"Tennessee (is) a little more athletic, a little more defensive, a little bit better all-around team (than Kentucky), in my opinion," Benson said.
Benson added he believe Tennessee's size will slow them down.
"We're smaller, faster and I think we have better ball control," Benson said.
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