No. 25 Auburn volleyball travels to Tuscaloosa, AL to face the CrimsonTide for the second time this season as the Tigers try for the series sweep against Alabama.
Auburn first defeated the Crimson Tide 3-1 back in September inside of Neville Arena. Recently, the Tigers have had no trouble against their rival. Despite Alabama leading the all-time series 49-40, Auburn has won each of the last eight meetings. Head coach Brent Crouch is 7-0 against Alabama, including 3-0 in trips to Tuscaloosa.
The Tigers are coming off a 3-1 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs and are squarely in the race for the top of the SEC with a 4-1 conference record only behind 5-0 Texas and 4-0 Arkansas.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the state, Alabama returns home after a two-game road stretch where they failed to win any sets against Missouri and Arkansas. They are tied for last in the conference with a 1-4 conference record and 9-7 overall.
Auburn’s defense remains one of its best traits, and it will look to continue weaponizing its elite defense, which ranks No. 1 in the conference. The Tigers hold their opponents to a .166 hitting percentage, ranking No. 32 in the nation. Conversely, Alabama has struggled in this category and ranked dead last in the conference with a .236 percentage allowed.
Players to watch:
Auburn: Madison Scheer
The Tigers' kill leader, with 210 recorded 16 last week against Mississippi State and 11 against Alabama in their first meeting this season, has been the driving force of the offense. Auburn will continue to need her if it looks to separate itself from the rest of the conference.
Alabama: Sophie Agee
In the losing effort, the Crimson Tide outside hitter recorded 19 kills and five digs in September against the Tigers. She leads the team in both kills and digs on the season and is coming off a nine-kill performance against Arkansas, the first time she was in the single digits since September 29.
The former Mississippi State transfer has made an instant impact on the Tide, and Agee will need to continue leading them if they want to upset their rival.
No. 25 Auburn Tigers (14-2, 4-1) begin a two-game road trip when the Tigers head to Tuscaloosa, AL for a rivalry match with Alabama (9-7, 1-4) on Wednesday, Oct. 15 inside Foster Auditorium. The first serve is set for 6 p.m. CT, and the match will be streamed live on SEC Network+.
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Craig Noyes is a senior from Kensington, Maryland, majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in January 2023.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @CraigNoyes58
