Auburn Volleyball has been hot this season, sitting on a 6-0 record. After six-straight home games and a huge win against No. 15 Florida State, the Tigers will be traveling North to compete in the Diet Coke Classic. The Tigers have hopes of continuing this win streak outside of Neville Arena, where they will be facing No. 19 Minnesota and Long Island University.
The Tigers have yet to go five sets this season, sweeping four of the six teams they have faced. The Tigers are now 35-19 at home, under head coach Brent Crouch. This will be the first time this season that the Tigers have hit the road, traveling over 1,100 miles away to Minneapolis.
Madison Sheer is leading this team offensively, after coming off an outstanding last season. She is accompanied by a team of freshmen who are proving they are more than capable of making an impact in this year's rotation.
Auburn Volleyball players celebrate scoring a point around Madison Scheer against Florida State on September 8, 2024.
Overall, the Tigers have been strong in all aspects of volleyball. However the upcoming matches will put these strengths to the test.
The Auburn Tigers versus Minnesota Gophers promises to be a fiery matchup, seeing as Minnesota has been a prominent name in the NCAA volleyball world. Although the Gophers are sitting on a 2-3 record, they have faced a stacked pre-season schedule. The Tigers lead this matchup offensively with 280 kills and a 0.246 hitting average. Auburn will need to capitalize on this advantage, seeing as the Gopher’s defense is top-tier.
Minnesota is showing strong defensive skills early this season, being led by setter Melani Shaffmaster. Shaffmaster is one of four players in the country to reach 4,000 assists and 1,000 digs in a career. Blocking has also been a strong suit for this team, posting 10+ blocks in four out five matches. This proves that the Tigers will have to be on par, both defensively and offensively, to take down this highly skilled team.
This matchup will take place first in this upcoming tournament. The match will take place on Friday, Sept. 13 at 6:00p.m. CST.
On the second day of the Diet Coke Classic, the Tigers will be facing the Long Island Sharks. The Sharks are currently 1-5 in pre-season play. Although the Sharks are underdogs in this match up, they are known to knock off notable teams in tournaments. The Sharks are led by Bria Plante and right side Celene Mukura. Blocking has been a strong suit for this team, as they lead the northeastern conference in blocks.
A key area to watch in this match will be behind the service line. Both teams have similar serving statistics, making it one area Long Island could create good competition.
Although the Sharks are not as high-profile as the Gophers, Auburn should not look past the scrappiness that this team brings. The Tigers should use this game to take advantage of their strengths and build momentum for the continuing season.
This matchup will take place on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 11:30p.m. CST.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Madelyn Marsh is a freshman from Castroville, Texas, who is majoring in journalism. She joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
