Auburn volleyball bounced back in a big way this afternoon, sweeping Ole Miss 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-21) inside the Gillom Athletics Performance Center. This victory pushed the Tigers' overall record to 12-3, 3-1 in SEC play, and improved their road mark to 2-3.
Head Coach Brent Crouch credited both teams after the match emphasizing the importance of the win.
“I don’t think the final score was truly indicative of how close that match was,” Crouch said, “Ole Miss is a very good team, and this was a really important win for us. Credit to our team, though, for stepping up in key moments, particularly at the end of sets.”
The first set featured nine ties and three lead changes before Auburn pulled away late. Senior outside hitter Liz Markovska was the main offensive weapon for the Orange and Blue as Shanelle Puetz and Kalei Edson set up the Cal Poly transfer for four kills on her nine swings with zero errors. With the Rebels closing the gap to 21-20, Auburn capitalized on Ole Miss's service errors. Combined with a pair of Markovska kills, the Tigers shot out to the early lead, 1-0. Markovska finished the day with a team high of ten kills in today’s game and has now reached double digits in four straight matches and 12 different times this season.
While Crouch’s crew did not record a block in the first set, the front show asserted themselves right away in set two. Lauren Dreves and Grace Havlicek led the charge, with Havlicek tallying all three kills. Havlicek, along with fellow middle blocker Kate Mansfield, enjoyed a sizeable amount of success offensively on Sunday. Havlicek notched all three of her kills in the second set as the duo combined for seven kills on .429 hitting. Behind three team blocks and three kills apiece from Dreves, Havlicek, and Markovska, Auburn surged to a commanding two-set advantage.
Set three showcased Auburn’s defense at its best. Mansfield solidified four of her six blocks in the third set as Auburn combined for five more team blocks for eight total. Mansfield has now notched at least five blocks in six straight matches and 11 times this season.
Despite nine more ties and three more lead changes, Auburn utilized timely blocking and three more kills from Dreves, Bel Zimmerman, and Markovska to finish off the Tigers’ ninth sweep of the season and the third in SEC play.
“We saw contributions across the board today, and those are the kinds of things we’ll need as a team to continue to win matches in the SEC," Crouch said. "Some days it’s going to be Lauren (Dreves), some days it’s Liz (Markovska), others might be Bel (Zimmerman) and Eden (Bower) on the right or Kate (Mansfield) and Grace (Havlivek) in the middle. Overall, very happy with the win and excited to get back in front of the Auburn Family on Friday.”
Overall, Auburn had a great performance, hitting .284 for the match, marking the third straight match they have hit about .280 and the tenth time Auburn has hit above .250 this season. The Tigers have continued to showcase their dominant defense, holding Ole Miss to .139 hitting, marking the twelfth time they have held their opponent below .200 this season.
Auburn returns home Friday, Oct. 10, hosting Vanderbilt at Neville Arena. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CDT, with coverage available on SECN+. The Tigers will look to defend their perfect 6-0 record at home.
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Sarah is a sophomore majoring in public relations. She started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
