Auburn swept in-state foe Alabama State for its first home win of the year. The Tigers took the first three sets in a decisive manner to take the match from the Hornets (25-17, 25-16, 25-18).
From the start, the Tigers commanded the match, never giving up the lead until the start of the third set. Alabama State sealed its own fate early, committing 23 total errors throughout the match.
The Tigers’ young talent led the way both offensively and defensively.
Setter Jackie Barrett varied in set tempo, scattering set attempts throughout the front row and the back row, collecting 32 assists throughout the match. Senior pin-hitter Rebekah Rath led the way in kills and blocks with a total of 14 kills and three blocks. Freshman pin-hitter Madison Sheer followed closely with a nightly total of 12 kills.
Auburn also excelled at the service line, collecting seven aces to Alabama State’s three.
Collectively, the Tiger’s defense helped the offense maintain its .287 hitting percentage and the lead with a total of 33 digs. The young freshman libero Sarah Morton paved the way with a startling ten digs as sophomore Fallan Lanham followed with seven digs. The front row was a wall, posting six blocks against the Hornets.
With the team only hitting a collective .157 for the match, several Hornets came away with good numbers for the night after a fast start to the third set.
Graduate student middle-blocker Kalysia Bates led Alabama State with a hitting percentage of .438 and a team-best 11.5 points for the match as well as collecting three blocks. Junior libero Temperance Chapman matched Auburn’s Morton with ten digs on the night.
The Auburn Tigers will once again defend their home turf against Alabama A&M next Tuesday, Sept. 6, at 7 p.m. CST. The match will be streamed and 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
Caitlyn Griffin is a sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @caitlyngrif99
