The 8-1 Tigers are traveling to Lexington, Kentucky to face the 3-2 Wildcats who are coming off a loss to Missouri. The Wildcats’ record does not tell the whole story as they are facing their sixth ranked opponent in a row, continuing their tough early schedule.
Auburn is seeking to build off its impressive 6-match win streak, most recently defeating No. 10 Oregon State. A strong performance from freshman Katelyn Jong, with an all-around score of 39.5, helped lead the Tigers to victory over Oregon State. This score was the highest score by any SEC freshman that week. She has been a player to watch recently, leading the all-around score against Arkansas the match before.
Other players to watch are Paige Zancun and Marissa Neal. Zancun is ranked 16th nationally in vault and scored 9.9 on vault against the Beavers. Neal earned a pair of career highs on the beam and floor for the Tigers against the Beavers.
Jong and Neal were both awarded SEC weekly honors. Jong was named SEC Freshman of the Week and Neal accomplished SEC Co-Specialist of the Week. These were both their first honors of their careers.
Looking at the Wildcats, they average a score of 196.887, while the Tigers average a score of 196.613. The Wildcats rank fifth in vault, 12th in bars, ninth in beam and sixth in the floor events.
Players to watch include Skylar Killough-Willhelm who averages an all-around score of 39.475, averaging 9.925 on bars and 9.9 on the beam and vault. Delaynee Rodriguez averages an all-around score of 39.45 averaging 9.9 on bars and beam.
The Wildcats are hosting their first “Excite Night” since 2017, where they defeated Auburn last time in that meet. Look to see an involved and sold-out crowd during the match.
The Tigers will need a good team performance on vault and beam in order to achieve victory on the road. Auburn ranks 17th on the vault, its worst event, so it will be a key event for the Tigers to match the Wildcats to get the match started on the right track. Auburn is strong on the beam, where it is ranked sixth in the NCAA. The Tigers will need to continue their impressive performances on the beam to get a win over a tough opponent on the road.
Auburn will travel to take on the Wildcats in Lexington, KY for a Friday night meet. The meet will start at 6 p.m. CST and will be streamed on SEC Network+.
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Tyler Cox is a sophomore from Atlanta majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
