Behind steady serving, balanced offense, and improved defensive play, Auburn volleyball picked up its second win of the season on Saturday afternoon, defeating St. John’s 3-1 at the Cardinal Classic.
The Tigers finished with a season-high eight service aces and hit .333 for the match, marking the second straight outing hitting over .300 as a team.
Auburn started strong offensively in the opening set with sophomore outside hitter Lauren Dreves and senior outside hitter Liz Markovska leading the way. Dreves tallied six kills on .462 hitting in the first frame, while Markovska added four more. Auburn outhit St. John’s .308 to .257 in the set, but serve struggles proved costly. Four Tiger service errors and four Red Storm aces made the difference as St. John’s pulled away late for a 25-21 win and the 1-0 match lead.
The Tigers regrouped quickly in the second set. Dreves and Markovska continued to score consistently from the outside while the defense tightened up. Alexis Dacosta was a spark in the back row with nine digs in the set, and setter Shanelle Puetz chipped in seven of her own. Auburn’s serving then turned the momentum as Puetz dropped in two aces, Markovska added another, and the Tigers’ overall pressure behind the line disrupted St. John’s rhythm. Auburn closed the set on a strong run to take it 25-17 and even the match at one apiece.
Auburn carried that momentum into the third set and quickly established control. Consistent serving once again forced the Red Storm into difficult passes, allowing the Tigers’ block and back-row defense to set up transition opportunities. With Grace Havlicek controlling the net, Auburn’s offense found easy looks. Havlicek would finish the day with a season-high six blocks, while Dacosta continued to anchor the back row to a 16-dig performance, her third straight match in double figures. The Tigers cruised to a 25-13 win to grab a 2-1 edge in the match.
The final set was closer, but Auburn’s balance kept St. John’s from staging a comeback. Dreves and Markovska remained steady on the outside, with Dreves finishing the match with 16 kills on .444 hitting and no errors. The sophomore has now reached double digits in all three matches this season and has hit above .400 in back-to-back outings. Markovska turned in a season-best 17 kills on .351 hitting while adding eight digs. Puetz directed the offense with a season-high 29 assists and also led the Tigers from the service line with four aces. Auburn finished off the match 25-21 to secure the 3-1 victory.
“As a coach, I’m always looking at what we could’ve done better every time we play,” head coach Brent Crouch said. “The reality is, it was a terrific weekend for us, and I think we showed the potential of what this team is capable of moving forward. Our offense is starting to click in all the right spots. The back row attack today was especially good. That’s three matches in three days, and I couldn’t be more proud of how this team responded throughout the entire weekend.”
In addition to Dreves and Markovska’s production, Auburn had contributions across the board. Havlicek’s six blocks led the defense at the net, Dacosta’s 16 digs paced the back row, and Puetz not only reached a season-high with 29 assists but also gave Auburn its serving edge. Overall, the Tigers tallied eight aces and limited St. John’s to a .200 hitting percentage.
With the victory, Auburn improves to 2-1 on the year, leaving Louisville with consecutive matches hitting above .300 and showing early-season growth on both sides of the ball.
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