The Auburn Tigers (10-14, 4-10 SEC) broke a seven-game losing streak Sunday and is preparing for the November stretch.
After a series of road matches where the Tigers traveled to Georgia, Mississippi State, Arkansas, LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama for six out of their nine October matches, Auburn is back at home for its next three.
Against Alabama Sunday, the Tigers pulled out a 3-2 victory to secure a season sweep of the Crimson Tide.
"We had talked a lot the past couple of weeks about when you get down in tough games, that you have to make that extra push," said coach Rick Nold. "So it was good to see on Sunday where we really came together and fought through and got the win."
After losing their Friday match against Ole Miss, the Tigers were defeated in the first set in Tuscaloosa, but the team came together and fought back for a victory.
"Obviously, when you lose seven straight matches, it has an effect," Nold said. "They weren't real lively (after Ole Miss), but we talked a lot about that, what it was going to take, and I was happy to see when we came out on Sunday everyone came together. "
Nold said his team has discussed how important it was to stick together through hard times, and the Tigers did just that in Tuscaloosa.
"I can't say enough about the team saying together in times of adversity where they pull together and fight through," Nold said. "So that's what we saw on Sunday that we haven't been seeing, and that's very encouraging."
The Tigers will host LSU, ranked first in SEC West, Friday evening.
Nold knows the challenge LSU presents, but said he is excited about the opportunity.
"When we played at their place, we struggled a bit," Nold said. "And we knew the opportunities were there.
"We ended up losing in four, and our girls kind of backed off there in the fourth. We're eager to get out there with them and battle back and forth. They're a very athletic team, and they play great defense."
The Tigers are primarily focusing on themselves this week.
"We've really just got to take care of ourselves and make sure we're going out there prepared," Nold said. "We've talked a lot about our identity and what we want people to see in us, so that will be our priority."
The Tigers will take on LSU at 7 p.m. Friday in the Student Activities Center.
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