Oct. 5, 2016
AUBURN, Ala. -- The Auburn volleyball team kicks off a two-week homestand with a pair of Southeastern Conference matches in Auburn Arena this weekend. The Tigers host Missouri Friday in a 7 p.m. match and then welcome rival Alabama to The Plains Sunday for a 1:30 p.m. showdown.
Both matches will be aired on SEC Network+ with Brit Bowen and April Zech on the call. Fans can also listen to the match via AuburnTigers.com or on WEGL 91.1 FM.
PROMOTIONS
Sunday is a busy day at Auburn Arena as the match is volleyball's All Auburn, All Orange event. Fans are encouraged to show up in orange. There will also be free Golden Flake Cheese Curls and Kona Ice for attendees. In addition, the Auburn men's basketball team will be serving free hamburgers and hot dogs to students prior to the 1:30 p.m. match.
The first 150 fans in attendance for Friday's match vs. the Missouri Tigers will get a free funnel cake.
QUICK HITS
- Auburn went 1-1 on the road last weekend in SEC play.
- The Tigers opened the weekend with a tough 3-1 (22-25, 29-27, 25-20, 26-24) loss at Mississippi State, Sept. 30
- Junior libero Jesse Earl set a new season high in the match, totaling 29 digs to lead all student-athletes.
- Auburn closed out the weekend with a 3-1 (25-13, 25-19, 16-25, 25-20) victory at Georgia Sunday afternoon (Oct. 2).
- Sophomore Brenna McIlroy and freshman Gwyn Jones each set career highs in kills, having 21 and 15, respectively.
- Earl has put together double-digit dig performances in all of Auburn's 17 matches. Her 5.33 digs/set average currently leads all student-athletes in the SEC and is tied for eighth nationally. She has a league-best 5.50 average against conference foes.
- The Tigers are averaging 1.55 service aces/set and rank first among SEC opponents. That mark is also tied for 38th in the NCAA.
- Earl, McIlroy, and junior Kelly Stewart rank in the SEC's top 10 with Earl at fifth with a .41 aces/set average. McIlroy is eighth (.33) and Stewart in ninth (.31).
SCOUTING MISSOURI
- The Tigers stand at 13-3 overall and are a perfect 4-0 in Southeastern Conference play.
- Missouri is coming off a pair of 3-0 wins on the road - at Arkansas (9/30) and at LSU (10/2).
- Junior Melanie Crow is among the league's best in a handful of categories. She leads the conference with an overall aces/set average of .53 and is second in points/set at 4.64. She also ranks fifth with a 3.83 kills/set average.
A WIN OVER MIZZOU WOULD...
- Be the first win over Missouri since they joined the SEC.
- Be Auburn's second win in the series and second win over the Tigers in Auburn.
AUBURN-MIZZOU SERIES
- Missouri is 6-1 against Auburn with the two teams meeting for the first time in 1996. The two Tiger teams did not face each other again until 2011 at a neutral site before Missouri joined the conference.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
- The Crimson Tide enter the weekend with a 13-4 record and are 2-2 in the SEC.
- The team went 1-1 last week, topping Georgia in four sets on the road before falling in five at Mississippi State.
- Junior Krystal Rivers is first in the conference with a 5.71 kills/set average and a 6.42 points/set average. She is sixth in aces at .38.
A WIN OVER ALABAMA WOULD...
- Snap a five-match losing skid to the Crimson Tide.
- Be Auburn's 31st win in the series.
AUBURN-ALABAMA SERIES
- Alabama leads the series with a 45-30 record, dating back to 1974.
- The storied series has been streaky for both teams throughout the years - the Tide went 15-3 in the 70s, Auburn was 16-4 in the 90s, Alabama was 12-2 in the early 00s.
- Auburn snapped a long Alabama winning-streak in 2009 and captured five-straight Ws until 2012.
UP NEXT
Auburn continues its homestand, hosting Georgia and Mississippi State. The Tigers welcome Georgia for a Wednesday night match, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. CT. Auburn and MSU face off Sunday, Oct. 16, in a 1:30 p.m. CT match. Both contests will be televised on SEC Network.