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Auburn volleyball looks to avenge a LSU loss with wins at Texas A&M

<p>Oct. 3, 2021; Auburn, AL, USA; Katie Curtis (15) prepares to strike a serve in a match between Auburn and Alabama in the Auburn Arena.</p>

Oct. 3, 2021; Auburn, AL, USA; Katie Curtis (15) prepares to strike a serve in a match between Auburn and Alabama in the Auburn Arena.

Auburn volleyball looks to rebound from a loss to LSU with two matches against Texas A&M in College Station this Thursday and Friday. 

With the loss against LSU, Auburn’s in-conference record stands at 4-7, one place down from a Texas A&M team that has a conference record of 4-6 after dropping two matches against Mississippi State. 

Both teams are searching for bounce-back wins. Despite the previous losses both teams faced, both are up there in Southeastern Conference team rankings.

Auburn is ranking highly in the defensive category, ranking first in opponent hitting percentage  at .147 and average digs per set with 16.42. The Tigers are also ranked second in average blocks per set with an average of 2.80. 

Texas A&M is ranking up in both the defensive and offensive categories. The Aggies currently rank second, behind Auburn, in average digs per set with 16.33. They also rank sixth in average assists per set at 12.21 and seventh in average kills per set with 13.27. 

Looking ahead to the coming matches, here are some of the players to watch and some of the keys to the games.

Key Players

Auburn

Val Green: Green emerged to be one of the most effective offensive weapons against LSU. In the one-game matchup, the outside hitter had a hitting percentage of .353 on 17 attempts as well as collecting two blocks. Her hot swing will be key in the upcoming match.

Tatum Shipes: The reigning SEC leader in average blocks per set collected three more against LSU. The middle blocker also put up an impressive .364 hitting percentage with 11 total attempts. 

Elif Yavuz: Although the middle blocker only collected one hit on three attempts in the LSU match, she led the team with four blocks in the middle. Her defense on the net will be needed to produce against Texas A&M.

Texas A&M

Mallory Talbert: The senior middle blocker had productive outings in the losses to Mississippi State. She put up a .481 hitting percentage in the first match and a .421 hitting percentage in the second match as well as collecting three blocks in each set. 

London Austin-Roark: The other senior middle blocker for the Aggies had an impressive first match against Mississippi State. She hit for a .364 percentage as well as collecting four blocks. She went on to collect two more blocks in the second match. 

Camille Connor: The fifth-year senior has been instrumental in setting up the Aggie defense as the setter. In the matches against the Bulldogs, Connor collected 71 assists in eight sets. She is ranked sixth in the conference in average assists with 9.89 per set. Connor is also quickly approaching a career milestone. Currently, she has 3,929 career assists and could potentially reach 4,000 in the matches against the Tigers. 

Match Keys

For the Tigers, the offense needs to continue to attempt to spread out their attack attempts. Both of the middle blockers have been producing more steady numbers the more attempts they receive. Shipes and Yuvez are also still steady on the net in delivering blocks. However, Auburn has to lower hitting and service errors, totalling 17 and six respectively against LSU. 

It is important that the Auburn defense stays dominant to set up favorable options for the offense. If the Tigers can be more consistent on all aspects of the offense and minimize the errors, both hitting and serving, they are looking at a good showing against the Aggies. 

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Texas A&M’s offensive strategy is looking good and balanced, especially in the middle, which may become a big weapon for the Aggies. The biggest challenge for the Aggie squad is going to be eliminating the hitting and service errors, totalling 45 and 22 respectively in the matches against Mississippi State. 

One of the Tigers’ weaknesses so far in the season has been at the service line and in serve receive, allowing LSU 13 aces in the previous match. If the Aggies can have a low number of service errors and put pressure on Auburn at the service line, it is a potential route to success against the Tigers. 

The front row also needs to continue to put up blocks to shut down any reformed Auburn offense that may appear in the upcoming matches. 

The two-game series will begin Thursday, Nov. 4, and end Friday, Nov. 5. Both games will have first serve at 6 p.m. CST and will be available to be watch on SEC Network+. 


Emily Porch | Sports Writer

Emily Porch is a senior from Sylacauga, Alabama. She joined The Plainsman in fall 2021.

Twitter: @emilycporch


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