After a 3-1 win over SMU, the Auburn Tigers (5-0) hoped to secure a sweep at the Seminole Invitational. The Seminoles (3-2) slowed down the Tigers’ offense some, but Auburn defeated FSU 3-1 (30-28, 25-21, 19-25, 25-23) to claim a sweep.
“Resiliency is the right word,” said head coach Brent Crouch. “They proved it last year time and time again.”
The Tigers stole the lead early, securing the first two sets with the Seminoles close behind. After winning the third set 25-19, FSU controlled set four until Auburn had an impressive offensive surge, scoring six points and stealing the lead from behind.
Both teams’ offenses and defenses were evenly matched. Auburn recorded 62 kills, a .356 hitting percentage, 47 digs and eight blocks compared to FSU’s 68 kills, a 338 hitting percentage, 56 digs and four blocks.
“(FSU) made a change and put in a new player in the back to pass and were a lot better,” Crouch said. “We had to start going after their front row and outsides, and it really changed things for them once we started doing it. They stopped killing us on the left. Then our team did what they needed to do.”
Sophomore pin hitter Akasha Anderson led Auburn’s offense with 15 kills, a .314 hitting percentage and 15.5 points with only four errors. Sophomore pin hitter Madison Scheer and senior middle blocker Bella Bell followed Anderson’s lead. Scheer collected 14 kills, a .333 hitting percentage and 15 points with only three errors.
Scheer's performance comes a day after recording 18 kills against SMU. Bell had 13 kills, a .414 hitting percentage and 14 points with only one error.
Leading the Tigers’ defense, senior setter Jackie Barrett and sophomore libero Zoe Slaughter upheld the back row, while sophomore middle blocker Kendal Kemp and graduate middle blocker Kyla Swanson maintained the front row.
Barrett collected 11 digs, three total blocks and 4.5 points, and Slaughter had 10 digs, two serving aces and two points. Kemp recorded eight kills, four blocks and 10 points, while Swanson secured eight kills, four blocks and 11 points.
“I keep saying every year. We have our expectations about where we are, and then there is the level that we actually are,” Crouch said. “We are consistently beating where I think we should be…. That’s a testament to the hard work of the players. We have a chance to go undefeated in non-conference again, and I will challenge the team to do it.”
The Auburn Tigers return home for the Tiger Invitational to play Middle Tennessee, Charleston Southern and Mercer. The invitational will begin on Thursday, Sep. 7, at 6 p.m. CST.
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Caitlyn Griffin is a sophomore from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @caitlyngrif99
