Tonight, Auburn volleyball fell to LSU in four sets (17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 21-25) -- marking a fourth loss in the last five matches.
The first set was the worst offensively for Auburn, only recording 11 kills and hitting a .171. Their defense also struggled, only managing 15 digs and zero blocks. For a team that averages 16.85 digs per set and 2.70 blocks per set, this performance alone would explain a close defeat.
However, LSU’s outside hitter Jurnee Robinson had a powerful performance this evening with eight kills in the first set. Robinson ended her night with 26 out of LSU’s total 59 kills. LSU as a team hit a .306 in the first set and recorded 16 digs and four blocks. LSU won the set 25-17.
Madison Scheer (1) celebrates scoring a serve over the LSU Tigers with her teammates on October 25, 2024.
In the second set, Auburn performed much better offensively, hitting a .286 to LSU’s .310. The Tigers still struggled on the net, only recording one block. LSU still out-digged Auburn as well, digging 14 hits to Auburn’s 11. Robinson again stood out with six kills, unable to be contained by Auburn’s defense. Head coach Brent Crouch spoke on Robinson’s impact on the game and her impact both offensively and defensively.
“She hit .346, 52 swings, and we could not slow her down. And they did a nice job against our right sides, typically our right sides. And she was really good blocking over there too. So we started setting away from her,” said Crouch. “She's a really special player, but typically we're a lot better than this on the right.”
The right-side hitters in question, Bella Bell and Bel Zimmerman, were quieter than normal. Bell only had six kills and hit a .095, while Zimmerman tallied six kills and hit a .045. Bell’s season average is a .282, and Zimmerman’s is a .264. Robinson’s three blocks and net presence were likely a factor in these performances. LSU won this second set 25-20.
The third set is when Auburn brought the energy, but it was too little too late. They recorded 13 kills, six of the night’s nine blocks, and 13 digs. A standout from the Auburn defense was libero Alexis Dacosta, who had five digs in this set and 16 for the night. Crouch also spoke on Dacosta’s role on the team.
“She’s been great and we’re asking her to probably do too much lately and cover up so much of the court. And that’s really hard to do,” said Crouch. “She’s been unbelievable, a great player. I wish she had more digs against Jurnee, but I’m not sure anyone could have gotten more.”
In addition to Dacosta’s defensive performance, outside hitter Lauren Dreves exploded offensively, recording five kills of her 14 in the third set. Chelsea McCurdy also put up a strong defensive showing with four blocks in the third set. Auburn won the third set 25-20.
The fourth set started off very evenly, with the two teams trading points back and forth for most of the set. Auburn had a strong offensive showing with 15 kills and hitting a .382, but Robinson and the LSU offense couldn’t be contained. Robinson had nine kills in this set alone, while LSU as a team had 21 and hit a .500. Despite Auburn’s explosive hits, LSU was able to get 17 digs, eight of which were from AC Froehlich. Froehlich ended the night with 18 digs. Auburn fought hard but lost the set to LSU 21-25.
Auburn has a quick turnaround, facing South Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. CST. The game will be available on SECN+.
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Jackie is a freshman majoring in Drug and Biopharmaceutical Sciences. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2024.
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