Auburn bounced back in dominant fashion Saturday morning, sweeping Morehead State, 25-21, 25-18, 25-17 behind a strong offensive outing and a career day from sophomore outside hitter Lauren Dreves.
“Very impressive performance for us today, offensively,” said Auburn head coach Brent Crouch. “When our middles are finding kills like that, our offense is hard to stop. Lauren [Dreves] has made tremendous strides this offseason and we’re starting to see what she’s capable of. I think her ceiling is even higher. We have one more match tomorrow to take care of business against another solid opponent, but I can’t wait to get back to Neville for the season opener on Wednesday for the Auburn family to see this in person.”
The Tigers set the tone early, led by outside hitter Bel Zimmerman, who recorded five kills on .300 hitting in the opening set. The frame was briefly competitive, with a 19-19 tie, but Auburn pulled away late behind early contributions from Dreves, who tallied six kills in the set.
Dreves continued her dominant performance in the second set, registering four kills on just six swings. She finished the match with a career-high 18 kills and a blistering .567 hitting percentage, leading a Tigers offense that was nearly unstoppable.
Zimmerman and Liz Markovska added nine kills apiece, helping Auburn post a team hitting percentage of .443, the program’s highest since hitting .493 in a win over Florida during the 2023 season.
Running the offense efficiently was Florida Gulf Coast transfer Shanelle Puetz, who turned in her first double-double as a Tiger. The junior setter tallied 19 assists and 10 digs in a well-rounded performance.
While the offense shined, Auburn’s defense also delivered in key moments. Middle blocker Eden Bower tied her career high with five blocks, while teammate Kate Mansfield set a personal best with six. The two combined for a series of momentum-shifting plays in the third set, including a pair of big blocks to close out the match.
Libero Alexis Dacosta added 12 digs and eight assists, playing a key role in initiating the offense and keeping the ball alive on defense. Auburn held Morehead State to a .193 hitting percentage, the second consecutive match in which the Tigers have limited an opponent to under .200. The Tigers also forced 17 errors while committing just eight themselves.
The only major offensive threat for Morehead State was outside hitter M.E. Hargan, who led her team with 16 kills. However, she struggled with consistency, hitting just .222 against Auburn’s front-line pressure.
With Saturday’s win, Crouch notched his 70th career victory as a collegiate head coach. Auburn will wrap up its weekend road trip with a match against St. John’s on Sunday at 11 a.m. CST before returning home to host its season opener at Neville Arena.
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