The Auburn Tigers are back at home this week as they face the Vanderbilt Commodores after being on the road for two games. Auburn has won six of its last seven games and is 3-1 in conference play.
This is the first time Vanderbilt has visited the Plains in 45 years, as the volleyball team had previously not been sponsored by the school. The Commodores have recently lost three of their last four with their only win coming against Arkansas last week in a cleans sweep. Vanderbilt’s top offensive player is junior outside hitter Kamryn Chaney as she is their best player at the net with 189 kills on the season with an average of 3.89 per set, and Jacquelyn Moore is right behind her with 132 kills. The teams' total kills per set is strong at 12.94. Chaney’s 25 aces this season are the second-most in the conference and her 0.51 aces per set is the third-highest average.
When it comes to the defensive side of the net, the Commodores have garnered 76.5 blocks on the season while averaging 1.5 per set. That could be something the Tigers could exploit when it comes to being aggressive at the net, as the Commodores' opponents average 11.84 kills per set. Being able to receive the ball has been a big asset to them as they have had 598 digs on the season while averaging 12.2 per set. Hailee Mack leads the team in digs overall, with 185 being the primary libero.
Auburn comes into this game not making many mistakes when it goes on the attack. The Tigers have only made 189 errors compared to the Commodores' 279. Though Vanderbilt's ability to ace its serves has served them well, having totaled 72 of them over the course of the season heading into the matchup with the Tigers.
For the Tigers, Lauren Dreves has been a constant when it comes to putting points on the board and being a closer. She has already recorded career highs this season in kills (19), hitting percentage (.567), and blocks (6) this season. She has put the Tigers on her back through many of the team's games this season.
California transfer Kate Mansfield has continued to surprise for the Tigers this season, as she has become another key player to watch. Mansfield delivered a career-best 11 blocks against South Alabama and currently sits atop the SEC at 1.70 blocks per set. She has recorded at least five blocks in seven straight matches and has notched at least four rejections 13 times this season.
Auburn will want to continue its SEC dominance this season and ride its momentum of its home winning streak and extend it to seven games. A strong night at the net while forcing errors from the opposing team will be crucial in the Tigers' efforts to extend that home winning streak.
The Auburn Tigers will play against the Vanderbilt Commodores in Neville Arena on October 10, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. CDT. This game will stream on SEC Network+.
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