After splitting last weekends two matchups, the Tigers turn their attention to the weekend. Auburn went 1-1 last weekend, getting swept by Missouri in Neville Arena on Friday night before bouncing back for a victory over a struggling South Carolina team.
The loss to Missouri was a surprising result as it was the first time Auburn has been swept on its home floor this season. It also came to a Missouri program that is sitting in the middle of the pack of the SEC standings at seventh.
Nevertheless, Auburn bounced back and got a victory over South Carolina on Sunday. It was a big victory for the Tigers. While South Carolina has struggled, the win stopped Auburn from falling into a three-game losing streak.
Auburn now turns its attention to its next two opponents. These two just so happen to be Auburn's biggest rivals in Georgia and Alabama, and the Tigers will travel to both.
Auburn travels to Athens, Georgia, to face off against the Georgia Bulldogs on Friday night. Auburn has already faced Georgia this season, with Auburn winning 3-1 in Neville Arena.
Auburn is currently on a three-match winning streak against the Bulldogs. The last time Auburn lost to Georgia was in October 2021, when the Tigers were swept in Athens.
The star duo of the Bulldogs is Sophie Fischer and Kacie Evans. Fischer leads the Bulldogs in kills with 292, and Evans is second with 226. These two make for a hard duo to stop.
Georgia is currently 13-7 on the season and 4-4 in SEC conference play. The Bulldogs have started to find their groove, as they are on a three-match winning streak, all over SEC competition.
Auburn got out to a big lead early when it faced the Bulldogs early in the season. Look for Auburn to recreate the success it had in its first matchup earlier in the season.
Following the Georgia game, Auburn faces its in-state foe in the Alabama Crimson Tide. This is the first meeting of the 2023 season between these two rivals. Auburn took the victory the last time the two played with a 3-1 victory over the Crimson Tide in September 2022. The Tigers have won five straight games over Alabama and a win on Sunday would tie Auburn's longest win streak over Alabama at six.
Alabama has struggled with SEC competition as the Crimson Tide are on a nine-game losing streak, all coming to SEC opponents. After starting the season 10-1, it has been a nightmare since for the Crimson Tide, falling to a 10-10 record currently.
The leaders of the Crimson Tide are Kendyl Reaugh and Alyiah Wells. Reaugh has led Alabama in kills with 233 while Wells has 179 kills.
Alabama's offense has struggled in SEC competition, having been shut out in six of its nine SEC matches. Look for the Auburn offense to come out early, and try to land the knockout punch.
Auburn's road matchup against Georgia is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. CST. The game will be televised on SEC Network+. On Sunday, Oct. 29, Auburn faces Alabama at 11 a.m. CST, and the game will be televised on SEC Network.
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TP is a senior from Montgomery, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @tp_hammock
