The No. 15 Tigers secured a spot in the NCAA Regional Final after a gritty, team-wide performance Friday night in the second round of the NCAA Washington Regional. Scoring a 196.950, Auburn finished second behind No. 2 Oklahoma at Alaska Airlines Arena to punch its ticket to the next round.
“I’m really proud of this team,” said head coach Jeff Graba. “I could tell this year’s regional was going to be different than the previous two. We’ve talked after bars today and really all season that nothing that’s worth it is easy. You have to fight for what is worth it and that’s what they did tonight.”
The Tigers, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2022, used consistent scoring across all four events to outpace Illinois (195.725) and Nebraska (195.675). Auburn will return to the floor Sunday night to compete against Oklahoma, Missouri and Arizona for a spot at nationals.
Graba said the postseason journey is one his team doesn’t take for granted.
“The last two years in this meet has shown us that this is a gift and a blessing to work this hard,” he said. “It’s a blessing to move on to the next round and you have to appreciate that. It’s a gift to put it all on the line again. We’re really excited that we get one more shot to party together.”
A major boost came from sophomore Olivia Greaves, who competed in the all-around for the first time this season and posted a 39.225. Greaves also shared the regional title on bars with a meet-best 9.95.
“I was really excited to do the all-around today,” Greaves said. “That has been my goal the whole season and since I stepped foot on campus. Mentally, I was ready and it was an easy switch to turn on and I was really excited.”
The Tigers kicked off the meet on vault, tallying a 49.075. Greaves and sophomore Julianne Huff posted 9.8s, while freshman Sophia Bell, senior Sara Hubbard and fifth-year Sydney Schumaker each earned 9.825.
Auburn gained momentum on bars, where Greaves capped the rotation with her 9.95. Sophomore Alex Irvine added a 9.925, and senior Sophia Groth chipped in a 9.9. Sophomore Emma Grace Boyd opened with a career-high 9.85, and senior Caroline Leonard contributed a 9.6 to help the team reach a 49.225.
Beam, one of Auburn’s most reliable events, brought the night’s highest event score at 49.350. Fifth-year Gabby McLaughlin led the way with a 9.925, followed by Groth’s 9.9. Freshmen Olivia Ahern and Marissa Neal scored 9.85s, and Zancan added a 9.8.
Auburn sealed its advancement on floor, posting a 49.325. Bell’s 9.9 headlined the rotation, while Zancan earned a 9.875. Greaves, Ahern and Groth each delivered 9.85s to close out the night.
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Patrick is a junior from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2022.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @patrickabingham
