Following back-to-back conference losses, for just the second time this season, Brent Crouch and his volleyball squad will look to secure a .500 or better SEC record in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2015-16 in their upcoming matches against Mississippi State and LSU.
Last Wednesday, in only the second-ever top 25 matchup in Neville Arena history, the No. 24 Tigers got swept by the five-time defending league champions, the No. 13 Kentucky Wildcats, in front of a program volleyball record 2,529 fans.
The Kentucky loss marked the third time Auburn was swept this season in SEC play. Despite snapping the Tigers’ four-match win streak, graduate student Kyla Swanson led Auburn with six kills on an even .500 hitting.
The Tigers’ trip to Columbia, Missouri, didn’t fare much better, resulting in a four-set 3-1 loss to Missouri. Madison Scheer, a Eureka, Missouri native, led the team with 13 kills on the day and had a block in the contest as well.
Standing in the Tigers' way is one final road test for the 2023 campaign before hosting three straight matches to close out the regular season.
Mississippi State currently finds itself at 11-13 overall and 4-10 in SEC play with libero Lauren Myrick leading the way for the Bulldogs' defense. Myrick has had 10-plus digs in 22 matches, including six outings with 20-plus digs, ranking second in the SEC standings with 4.34 digs per set.
On the outside, hitters Sophie Agee and Karli Schmidt have a combined 26 matches of double-digit kills, with Agee leading the team in aces and Schmidt boasting 2.94 kills per set. Agee and Schmidt will look to find a victory against the Tigers after four straight games of the Bulldogs getting swept against SEC foes.
After the Tigers' test in Starkville, Mississippi, LSU awaits in the friendly confines of Neville Arena, a site where Auburn holds an 8-4 record on the season. The Bayou Bengals will make the trip up following their contest against Tennessee at home on Friday, Nov. 16.
In LSU’s midweek matchup with South Carolina, the Tigers emerged victorious in a five-set 3-2 win to keep their postseason hopes alive. LSU displayed a season-high .359 hitting percentage, securing 65 kills and 16 blocks. Blocker Anita Anwusi's career-high 16 kills and a season-best .682 hitting percentage played a pivotal role in extending its winning streak against South Carolina to six consecutive matches.
With Auburn trying to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history and the first time ever in consecutive seasons, the Tigers will look to take care of business on the road against Mississippi State before their final home stand of the regular season. Auburn hasn't won inside the Newell-Grissom Building since 2015 and holds a 15-15 all-time record against the Bulldogs.
Auburn and Mississippi State are scheduled for the first serve on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m. CST with television coverage on the SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. The Tigers' following match against LSU on Sunday, Nov. 19, will begin at 2 p.m. CST with television coverage also on the SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
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Patrick is a sophomore from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
