After a dubious 0-2 start to its in-conference slate, Auburn will take on rival Alabama in a two-game weekend series. Will the Tigers turn things around or are the early results set to continue? Let’s preview the key players and storylines entering these matches.
Auburn vs Alabama
Oct. 2 at Auburn Arena, 4:30 PM CST; Oct. 3 at Auburn Arena, 2 PM CST
Auburn enters this series without a win against an SEC team under head coach Brent Crouch. The Tigers have had serious difficulties in their first two in-conference bouts, losing 1-3 and 0-3 to Ole Miss and Tennessee respectively. After registering a team hitting percentage of .285 over the first nine games of the season, Auburn has posted just a .157 hitting percentage over the last three contests.
Still leading the way for the Tigers is the tandem of transfers: Rebekah Rath and Liz Reich. The two have combined to score 53 percent of Auburn’s points on the year and serve as obvious offensive threats. Tatum Shipes remains the best two-way player under Crouch and company, leading the team in blocks at 59 with Elif Yavuz following at 38. She's contributing with above-average finishing and hold fourth in points per set on the team.
The surprise for the home team is Val Green, whose recent surge in scoring adds another dimension to a Tigers offense that often funneled through just two options. After an inconsistent start to the season, having 21 kills in first 12 sets, Green posted double-digit kills in five of her next eight appearances, culminating in a 13 kill outing against Ole Miss.
Alabama comes into town with little to prove. The Tide may seem innocuous enough at 8-6, but beneath the record is a solid team. For one thing, the visitors rank second among the SEC in service aces at 1.60 per set. It doesn’t hurt that they’re also in possession of one of the better liberos in the country in Dru Kuck who averages 4.74 digs per set, and should match up well with Tigers libero Bella Rosenthall.
Compared to its opponent, Alabama is in possession of a more balanced approach to scoring, with five players averaging over two points per set. The overall leader in scoring for the Crimson Tide is Abby Marjama, who also happens to be one of the most dangerous servers in the country ranking sixth nationally in aces per sets. For an Auburn team that’s allowed 11 service aces across four sets in conference play, that might be a challenge.
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