Aug. 25, 2016
AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn volleyball team opens the 2016 season hosting the War Eagle Invitational in Auburn Arena, Aug. 26-27.
The Tigers kick off the weekend with a 7 p.m. match against Georgia Tech in the season opener Friday. The team follows with a pair of matches Saturday, taking on Furman at noon and Pacific at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free to all home Auburn volleyball matches.
All three Auburn matches will be broadcast live via SEC Network+ with Brit Bowen and April Zech calling the action for Friday night's match only. SEC Network+ broadcasts are available via WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app on mobile devices. Live stats for all of the weekend's six matches will be available at AuburnTigers.com.
QUICK HITS
- The Auburn Tigers open their 45th season of volleyball and the sixth under head coach Rick Nold.
- The 2015 edition of Auburn volleyball saw the team finish 18-12 overall and 10-8 in the Southeastern Conference. That mark placed the Tigers sixth overall among league opponents.
- Auburn returns all of its offense from 2015, while only losing one primary back row player to graduation.
- The Tigers enjoyed playing in Auburn Arena last season, tying a program-best 11 home wins in 2015. Highlighting the team's home victories was the 3-2, come-from-behind win over then-No. 11 Florida (Nov. 8). Of Auburn's 11 Ws, seven came in SEC play.
- Auburn's 2016 schedule features eight 2015 NCAA Tournament participants.
- The Tiger roster features four seniors, six juniors, two sophomores, and five freshmen.
SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH
- The Yellow Jackets return five starters and libero from the 2015 squad that finished 18-14 overall.
- Tech's roster is littered with upperclassmen experience, boasting five seniors and four juniors.
- Highlighting the Georgia Tech roster is Teegan Van Gunst. The senior outside hitter was named an honorable mention AVCA All-American last year. She led the team with a 3.92 kills per set average.
- Tech also returns it's assists leader in senior Rebecca Martin, who averaged 8.69 assists per set.
- Defensively, the Jackets return their top blocker in junior Sydney Wilson (1.06 blocks/set) and senior libero London Ackermann (4.16 digs/set).
SCOUTING FURMAN
- Furman enters the 2016 season as the preseason Southern Conference favorite after capturing the league crown in 2015 with a 12-4 record and going 21-9 overall.
- The Paladins made the program's third NCAA appearance in 2015, falling to Final Four contender Kansas in the first round.
- Senior Annie Bierman returns as the reigning SoCon Player of the Year. The outside hitter led the conference in kills and kills per set in 2015.
SCOUTING PACIFIC
- The Pacific Tigers were voted to finish sixth in the West Coast Conference by the league's coaches.
- Pacific concluded the 2015 season with a 17-13 overall mark and went 8-10 in the WCC.
- The squad boasts the 29th-ranked freshmen class, according the PrepVolleyball. The team features five freshmen in addition to two seniors, four juniors, and four sophomores.
- Saturday night's Auburn vs. Pacific match will be the first meeting between the two programs.
UP NEXT
The Tigers return to the court for a Tuesday match, Aug. 30, hosting Kennesaw State at 7 p.m. in Auburn Arena. The team follows with a road trip to Louisville for the Active Ankle Challenge, Sept. 2-3. Auburn will take on Stony Brook, Santa Clara, and host Louisville.