Auburn (7-2) rallied to a 3-0 win over UAB (6-4) through a collective team effort offensively inside the Pete Hanna Center.
The Tigers’ offensive game plan ran through Lauren Dreves and Liz Markovska, as the two combined for 29 of the team’s kills. They stopped UAB from getting into any sort of rhythm in the match as their high-powered attack limited the Blazers from keeping the game close.
The second set seemed to be a turning point for the Tigers as they hit .449 in the set through Dreves and Markovska paving the way with six kills.
Assists were an important factor in this match, as the Tigers had 13 more assists than the Blazers, leading Auburn to victory. Shanelle Puetz and Kalei Edson led the team in assists as Puetz had 23 and Edson had 15. Auburn head coach Brent Crouch was pleased with his team’s offensive performance in the match.
“At times, you could see what the speed of our offense is capable of,” Crouch said. “That’s encouraging to see because we’ll be able to cause anyone problems if we can go that fast throughout the season. Credit to our passers for putting us in good positions in those moments.”
Auburn also totaled seven aces, marking the fourth time the Tigers had four or more aces in a match. A combined effort with aces from Edson, Grace Havlicek, and Zoe Slaughter surged Auburn to a fast start, taking the first set.
If Auburn can sustain this high-octane offense going forward, it will be a force during SEC play. Though the offense was the highlight in this match, the defense also played a crucial role down the stretch.
Auburn’s Kate Mansfield hit six blocks in the match, leading the Tigers’ defensive effort throughout. She helped in finishing off UAB delivering two final rejections in the last set.
The Blazers fought hard in the first set but could not keep up with the Tigers throughout. Kennedy Vaughn had a great performance for UAB, securing nine kills and eight digs, leading the team in both.
The Tigers contained UAB to .149 hitting, delivering their sixth sweep of the season. A combined team effort on both phases, but an offensive surge right out the gate, helped secure its first win in the Alabama Showdown.
Auburn will continue tournament play against Samford on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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Tyler Cox is a sophomore from Atlanta majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
