Auburn volleyball will play its final game of the season in Neville Arena on Wednesday evening as the Tigers play the No. 20 Florida Gators for the second time in the last 12 days.
The Tigers started the season 14-2 and had high expectations for the season, but an eight-game losing streak has dropped Auburn to 14-10 on the year, and expectations for the NCAA tournament look slim.
In their most recent match, Auburn lost to the No. 14 Texas Longhorns for the first time the two have met as SEC opponents, losing in three sets by an average of 9.3.
Without an SEC tournament in the sport until the 2025 season, the Tigers will likely play their final three games of the season and celebrate senior night in Neville Arena against the Gators.
On the flip side, the Gators have won eight consecutive games and are in the hunt for the SEC title. They currently sit in second place with a 10-3 conference record, only behind Kentucky (11-2 in SEC play).
In their most recent match, the Gators traveled to Colombia, MO, to take on the No. 25 Missouri Tigers. The Gators won 3-2 and won the fifth set 15-6 to extend their winning streak.
Players to watch:
Auburn: Madison
The outside hitter surpassed 300 kills for the third consecutive season with 14 kills against Texas and reached double-digit kills for the 20th time this year.
The team's leader in kills currently has 310 on the year and is top 10 in the conference in kills per set and will look to finish out the season strong. Scheer only recorded nine kills in the first game against the Gators this year.
If Auburn is going to break its eight-game losing streak against the Florida Gators, it will need its best offensive weapon to make a memorable senior night for the Tigers.
Florida: Kennedy Martin
The young outside hitter has been a star in her sophomore season and one of the best offensive weapons in the country and has recorded 333 on the year.
The two-time SEC Player of the Week has recorded double-digit kills in every game this season. Against Auburn, she recorded 20 kills, and she had 32 in her most recent match against Missouri.
The conference leader in kills per set will be a critical factor in keeping the Gators in the race for the SEC crown.
Auburn looks to end its losing streak in its second match of the year against the Gators in Neville Arena Wednesday, Nov. 19 with the set start time of 6 p.m. CST. The match will be broadcast 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
