Aug. 27, 2010
AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn volleyball team kicked of the 2010 season with a three-set sweep over instate rival Troy Friday evening at the Student Activities Center. The Tigers defeated the Trojans in the day's second match of the War Eagle Invitational by scores of 25-13, 25-13, 25-21.
Auburn finished the match with a .391 attack percentage with 43 kills on 97 attempts and just nine errors, while limiting Troy to a .071 attack percentage.
"We came out with good emotion and good fire," head coach Wade Benson said. "The season is always a work in progress and it takes time to get where we want to be, but it is a great start. The crowd was phenomenal and they showed us a lot of support."
Sophomore Sarah Bullock finished with a match-high 14 kills and recorded a .500 attack percentage, while senior Morgan Johns had eight kills on the night. Sophomore MacKenzy Harper and senior libero Liz Crouch each finished with a team-best eight digs.
Junior Christina Solverson tallied a match-high 28 assists, while senior Alyssa Davis had a match-high six blocks. The Tiger defense combined for eight total blocks on the evening (two solo, 12 assists), while the team finished with 14 service aces.
Devin Von Pingel led the Trojans with six kills, while Lizzie Clough a team-best eight digs. Setter Megan Henderson had 15 assists to lead Troy.
The Tigers found themselves down early in the first set, 3-0, but rallied on a six-point run to take a 6-3 lead. A kill and a service ace from senior Lauren Mellor triggered another run by the Auburn and the home team went on to take a 16-8 lead and force a Troy timeout. The Tigers held their advantage and took the set, 25-13.
In the second set, Auburn opened with a 5-2 lead and a kill by Bullock pushed the team's advantage to 7-3. Two service aces by Crouch gave Auburn a 15-8 advantage and, at 15-10, the Tigers went on a five-point rally to take a ten-point lead, 20-10. The squad ended up defeating Troy by a score of 25-13.
The final set of the match proved to be a tougher task as the two teams battled for both points and a solid lead. Down at 7-6, the Tigers pushed a three-point run to take a 9-7 advantage. The Trojans, however, put together a run of their own to tie the set at 12 apiece. At 20-20, a kill by senior Jonelle Wallace triggered another Auburn three-point run and the Tigers took the match with a score of 25-21.
The 2010 War Eagle Invitational continues Saturday, beginning with a 10 a.m. match that features Georgia Southern and Troy. Auburn faces UT Martin at noon and is followed by a Troy/UT Martin match at 5 p.m. The War Eagle Invitational concludes with a 7 p.m. match that pits Auburn against Georgia Southern. All matches are held at the Student Activities Center and admission is free.