Auburn looks to sweep Missouri to produce an even in-conference record.
After losing both of its games to the Arkansas Razorbacks, the Tigers now hold a Southeastern Conference record of 2-4. However, they still hold some top spots in the conference rankings. Auburn sits at No. 1 for average opponent hitting percentage at .136, though the number has risen some since Arkansas. Auburn is also holding down No. 2 in blocks per set with 2.85 and digs per set at 16.41.
Missouri is off to a slow start in conference play, with a 0-4 SEC record and a 3-14 record overall. The visiting Tigers have won a total of 12 sets so far in the season. Their wins have included teams such as Northern Kentucky (9-6 overall), South Dakota (9-7 overall) and North Texas (11-8 overall). They are also ranked higher than the Auburn Tigers in team service aces per set, ranking eighth in the conference with an average of 1.26 aces per set.
Let’s take a look at some of the key players and takeaways for the upcoming matches.
Key Players
Auburn:
Rebekah Rath: Coming off more SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors, Rath is still sitting atop the SEC leaderboard in kills per set with 4.51 and points per set with 5.25. The junior has been the obvious weapon for the Tigers at the net during the season.
Tatum Shipes: Shipes is still showing why a move to middle blocker was the best decision as she is still leading the conference at 1.67 blocks per set. Shipes now needs to take advantage of the attack attempts she receives to help Auburn offensively in the upcoming matches.
Bella Rosenthall: Rosenthall achieved a career milestone while playing in the first match against Arkansas this past weekend. While reaching the 1,000 digs club, Rosenthall is still leading the conference with 5.25 digs per set.
Missouri:
Anna Dixon: The junior outside hitter is showing up for Missouri in the SEC rankings. Dixon is eighth in points per set and ninth in kills per set, 4.07 and 3.58 respectively. She is the highest ranking Tiger for Missouri in SEC statistics. Dixon is going to be a key player for points against Auburn in the upcoming matches.
Emily Brown: The sophomore libero for Missouri is emerging to be one of the team leaders for the Tigers. She is also ranked No. 8 in the conference in digs per set with an average of 3.60 digs per set and will be a key part of the Missouri defense.
Kayla Burbage: The middle blocker for Missouri has also been effective for the Tigers. Burbage, as a freshman, is ranked at No.10 in the SEC's blocks per set with an average of 1.14. She has potential to be a formidable weapon for Missouri with this kind of a start as a freshman.
Key Concepts
Auburn:
For Auburn to take control of this match, it needs to diversify its offensive attacks. The majority of attack points are coming from Rebekah Rath, and the offensive attacks need to start coming from other hitters on the court to keep the Missouri defense guessing. The defense needs to remain strong and live up to their rankings to shut down a Missouri offense.
Missouri:
For Missouri to be competitive against a great defensive Auburn squad, it needs for its attacks to find the floor. They also need to stay sharp at the service line to get Auburn out of system on offense. These Tigers also need to shut down an Auburn offense, but most particularly Rebekah Rath. If they take away the most effective Auburn weapon, they stand a better chance to have a real competition.
The matches begin Oct. 15 at 4:30 p.m. CST and the second will follow the next day at 1 p.m. CST. Both games will be available to watch on SEC Network+.
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Emily Porch is a senior from Sylacauga, Alabama. She joined The Plainsman in fall 2021.
Twitter: @emilycporch
