Auburn hosts Jackson State in its second home match of the 2025 season on Friday night at Neville Arena. The matchup provides both teams with an opportunity to improve their early-season records.
Although Jackson State enters the match with an 0-3 record, they have shown flashes of promise in their season openers against Louisiana Tech and ULM. Facing Auburn allows the Tigers to prove themselves against a strong competitor and potentially spark a turnaround for the team.
Auburn showed its ability in the Cardinal Classic last weekend when it went 2-for-3 with wins against Morehead State and St. John’s and a loss in their first game against Louisville. The Tigers hope to continue their winning streak Friday against Jackson State.
Auburn has many impactful players returning from last season, including redshirt senior Liz Markovska with 157 kills, averaging 2.18 per set; Bel Zimmerman with 269 kills, 70 blocks and her 500th career kill; and setter Shanelle Puetz, who recorded 749 assists, 211 digs and six double-doubles with NCAA Tournament experience from FGCU. The Tigers hope to utilize these players’ experience to improve their record for the 2025 season.
Recruits for Auburn showing promising performances include freshmen Greer Chambless, Audrey Nuckols, Izzy Orton and Baileigh Carlsen. The improvement of these players’ abilities will play a crucial role in the consistency of the Tigers’ performance throughout the season. Chambless adds to the Tigers’ outside attack. Arriving from Dallas, Chambless had more than 1,000 kills and multiple All-State and All-District honors during her high school career.
Jackson State enters its matchup with Auburn still looking for its first win of the season, carrying an 0-3 overall record into this contest. All three losses, including a narrow 3-2 loss to ULM, came on the road or at neutral sites, highlighting the early season challenges the Tigers have faced away from home. Now headed to Neville Arena, Jackson State will look to correct its errors and gain confidence by solidifying both its serve-receive and consistency across the rotation.
Auburn, meanwhile, boasts a 2-1 start to the 2025 season with a strong .667 winning percentage. Fresh off two straight wins, the Tigers will aim to build momentum in front of their home crowd and reinforce their early season offensive effectiveness. With the chance to improve its record at Neville Arena, Auburn can further establish its rhythm before diving deeper into non-conference and SEC competition.
First serve between Auburn and Jackson State is scheduled for Friday at 5 p.m. CST at Neville Arena and will be available to stream on ESPN+.
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