Oct. 2, 2009
AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn volleyball team improved to 10-5 overall and 2-2 in the Southeastern Conference with a 3-1 win over Ole Miss (6-9, 0-5) on Friday at the Student Activities Center. The win marks the first victory over the Rebels since the 2004 season.
"It was a gutsy win for us," Wade Benson, head volleyball coach, said. "Getting over that one-win syndrome from last year and getting over it early really allows us to take a breath and be a little more relaxed. Everyone on this team deserved that win. They are working hard and I'm really happy for this squad with how they performed tonight."
Freshman Sarah Bullock and sophomore Kelly Fidero finished with top performances to lead the Tigers. Bullock recorded her first career double-double on 15 kills and 13 digs, while Fidero recorded a career-best 15 kills. Junior libero Liz Crouch tallied match-high 27 digs, while Sara Shanks had a season-best 30 assists.
"Sarah Bullock is a great player," Benson said. "She gets the job done and is a no-fear kind of athlete."
Miranda Kitts finished with 13 kills for Ole Miss, while Whitney Craven picked up a double-double on 12 kills and 11 digs. Setter Emily Kvitle tallied 38 assists and libero Morgan Springer had a team-high 20 digs.
Auburn opened set one with an early 4-1 lead and continued to push, going up 11-7 on a block by Fidero and freshman Courtney McDonald. A 5-0 run late in the set gave Auburn a 20-13 advantage and the squad went on to take the 25-18 win.
Ole Miss pulled ahead quickly in the second set, taking a 4-1 lead. A kill from Jonelle Wallace and a service ace from Shanks closed the gap by a point, but a Rebel rally put Ole Miss up 9-5. The Rebels held their lead throughout the set, going up by as much as seven at 17-10. The Tigers fought back, coming within two at 17-15, but the Rebels held on and took the set by a score of 25-19.
The two squads battled throughout the first parts of set three and tied at eight, a four-point Tiger run gave Auburn the 12-8 advantage. A kill from Fidero put Auburn up 17-13, but the Rebels did not give up and came with one at 19-18. Kills from Morgan Johns and Fidero, however, solidified the win as Auburn came out ahead, 25-22.
Down a point in the beginnings of the fourth set, the Tigers put together a 6-1 run to take the 10-6 lead. The Rebels battled back and regained the lead on a six-point rally to go up 13-12. Tied at 18 apiece, a trio of Ole Miss errors and a kill from Bullock gave Auburn the 22-18 advantage. A kill from Wallace closed the match as the Tigers won the set 25-23.
Auburn returns to the Student Activities Center on Sunday to close the weekend with a match against Arkansas. First serve is set for 1:30 p.m.