Sept. 26, 2008
Friday's match against Alabama will run on tape delay next week on Tuscaloosa's WVUA Channel 7. Check back to AuburnTigers.com for broadcast details.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Despite taking a 25-20 win in the first set, the Auburn volleyball team (5-9, 0-3 SEC) was not able to hold on as Alabama (8-4, 1-2 SEC) came back for the 3-1 (20-25, 25-19, 25-15, 25-15) win.
For the second year in a row, the Tigers were not able to shut down the Tide in Tuscaloosa as Auburn fell 3-1 at Alabama last season after winning the first set.
"I thought we did really well in sets one and two, we just could not keep it going in the final two," said head coach Wade Benson. "We have been working on going hard for a longer period in the match. We are still learning and it showed tonight."
Senior Jessica Glover led Auburn in the match with 12 kills, hitting a team-best .321. She also posted six digs and two aces in the loss. Freshman Olympia Haney finished right behind her with 11 kills, four digs and two blocks. Alyssa Davis provided an error-free seven kills in the match, giving Auburn a boost off the bench.
"Alyssa Davis and Olympia Haney played really well tonight, especially considering they are a sophomore and a freshman playing in this kind of atmosphere," said Benson.
Making her first career start as Auburn's libero, junior Kaitlin Simon led the Tiger defense with nine digs, trailed by Glover and setter Sara Shanks with six each. Shanks also posted 38 assists in the match.
"We did not have our regular libero tonight and as the match went on, it showed," said Benson. "But, I thought Kaitlin Simon did a great job for us, playing her first significant minutes of the season. It was great for her, being an Alabama native, playing at Alabama to have a match like she did."
For Alabama, it was all junior Brooks Webster as she tallied 23 kills and 16 digs in the win. Libero Amy Pauly added 16 digs of her own while Calli Johnson posted a match-high six blocks.
The Tigers continue their first Southeastern Conference road trip on Sunday as Auburn travels to Mississippi State (5-8, 0-2 SEC) for a 1:30 p.m. match. Fans can follow the action with live stats at AuburnTigers.com and MStateAthletics.com.
Auburn jumped out to a quick 4-2 lead in the first set and did not look back, eventually extending the lead to eight at the 19-11 mark en route to the 25-20 win. The Tigers hit a blazing .414 in the set, led by four kills from Haney with Wallace and Glover following with three each. Clark and Shanks chipped in three digs each in the set to lead Auburn.
Alabama bounced right back in the second set, hitting .412 in the set for a 25-19 win. The teams were neck-and-neck throughout the set, but the Crimson Tide was able to pull away after the third tie, at the 11-11 mark, for a 5-2 run and their biggest lead to that point. Auburn closed the gap to one at the 19-18 mark, but a 6-1 Tide run closed out the set.
Glover led the Tigers with four kills and two aces in the set, followed by three kills from freshmen Kelly Fidero. Emily Knuth posted four digs for Auburn in the set.
The Crimson Tide kept rolling in the third set, cruising to a 25-15 win and a 2-1 lead in the match. The teams were tied at the 6-6 mark, but a 6-0 Alabama run put the Crimson Tide up for good. Haney led the Tigers with four kills in the set, followed by Glover with three. Kaitlin Simon, making her first start as a libero in the match, led the Tigers with five digs.
Alabama's momentum continued into the fourth set as the Crimson Tide quickly jumped out to an 8-1 lead. Auburn was able to cut it to four at the 12-8 mark, but Alabama was able to pull away again for the 25-15 win. Davis, Shanks and Glover had two kills each for Auburn in the set.