Oct. 14, 2016
AUBURN, Ala. -- The Auburn volleyball team caps a two-week homestand Sunday, Oct. 16, with a 12 p.m. CT match vs. Mississippi State in Auburn Arena.
The two teams face off for the second time this season and the match will be televised on SEC Network with Melissa Lee and Jenny Hazelwood on the call.
PROMOTIONS
Sunday is Auburn's "Dig Pink" match, honoring those who have fought and continue to fight breast cancer. Pink drawstring bags will be handed out while supplies last. There will also be a post-match Skills Clinic.
QUICK HITS
- Auburn enters Sunday's match with a 10-10 overall record and are fifth in the SEC with a 4-3 mark.
- Auburn used an efficient, effective attack to earn a 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-19) sweep of Georgia Wednesday night in Auburn Arena.
- The Tigers hit a season-best .367 as a team, having 42 kills with just nine errors on the night. Auburn held the Bulldogs to an .076 clip, the lowest by an Auburn opponent this season.
- Freshman Gwyn Jones finished with 12 kills and a .474 attack percentage, adding three blocks for Auburn.
- A trio of Tigers in senior Breanna Barksdale, junior Macy Reece, and freshman Enija Bidzane chipped in seven kills apiece. Reece hit a scorching .875 for the home squad. Junior Courtney Crable added six kills in the match.
- Junior setter Alexa Filley had her 11th double-double of the season, finishing with 29 assists and 12 digs.
- Bidzane set a career-high with 10 digs and junior libero Jesse Earl also put together a 10-dig performance. Reece had a hand on four of Auburn's seven team blocks.
- Earl's 5.24 digs/set average currently leads all student-athletes in the SEC and is t-12th nationally. She has a league-best 5.15 average against conference foes. She also has reached 20 or more digs 10 times this season.
- Filley leads the team with 11 double-doubles this season. That total is tied for first among all SEC opponents.
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE
- The Bulldogs come to Auburn with an 11-9 overall record and stand at 3-3 in SEC play.
- MSU traveled to Tuscaloosa Wednesday and fell to the Crimson Tide in four sets. Senior Evie Grace Singleton led the Bulldogs with 20 kills in the match.
- Singleton is among the conference overall leaders, standing fourth with a 3.91 kills/set average and third with a .46 service aces average.
- Singleton's 4.57 points/set average ranks fourth in the league.
- The outside hitter is fifth in SEC-only matches, averaging 4.09 kills/set.
- Senior Jazmyne Johnson is seventh in the SEC with a 1.19 blocks/set average, while junior libero Payton Harris is eight with a 3.41 digs average.
A WIN OVER MISSISSIPPI STATE WOULD...
- Even the season series with the Bulldogs at 1-1.
- Be Auburn's seventh win in the last eight matches.
- Give Auburn its third SEC victory in a row.
AUBURN-MISSISSIPPI STATE SERIES
- Auburn leads the all-time series, 37-20, dating back to 1978. Auburn has won six of the last seven meetings and are 11-4 against the Bulldogs since 2008.
- This will be the 28th meeting between the two teams in Auburn. The Tigers hold a 21-6 all-time record vs. the Bulldogs when playing at home.
LAST TIME VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE - SEPT. 30, 2016
- Auburn dropped a 3-1 (22-25, 29-27, 25-20, 26-24) loss to Mississippi State in the Newell-Grissom Building.
- The Auburn backrow put together a solid effort as junior Jesse Earl set a season-best with 29 digs. Classmates Kelly Stewart and Tate Pember added 11 digs for the Tigers. Pember also chipped in a career-best three service aces.
- Offensively, freshman Gwyn Jones led Auburn with 14 kills. Senior Breanna Barksdale added 13 kills and sophomore Brenna McIlroy finished with 11.
UP NEXT
Auburn heads to Ole Miss for a Wednesday night match, Oct. 19. The Tigers and Rebels will face off at 8 p.m. CT and the match will be broadcast live on ESPNU.