Nov. 26, 2016
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AUBURN, Ala. -- The Auburn volleyball team closed out the 2016 season with a 3-1 (19-25, 25-12, 25-21, 25-23) loss to Texas A&M Saturday afternoon in Auburn Arena.
The Tigers conclude the season with a 15-16 overall record and 9-9 in Southeastern Conference play. That league record placed Auburn tied for fifth overall, which marks the best finish in the SEC since 2010 when the Tigers also finished tied for fifth.
Auburn had four student-athletes with double-digit kills in the match. Sophomore Brenna McIlroy led the way with 15 kills, while freshman Gwyn Jones, senior Breanna Barksdale, and junior Macy Reece each had 10. Junior setter Alexa Filley had a match-high 47 assists.
Defensively, junior libero Jesse Earl had a match-best 16 digs and McIlroy chipped in 10 for her 12th double-double of the year. Both Earl and McIlroy led the Tigers with three service aces each.
Texas A&M (21-8, 15-3) was led by Kiara McGee with 16 kills, while Ashlie Reasor and Emily Hardesty had eight a piece. Setter Stephanie Aiple finished 39 assists and Victoria Arenas had 13 digs. Jazzmin Babers had a match-high 11 blocks with eight going to Kaitlyn Blake.
A kill from Barksdale and one by Enija Bidzane lifted the Tigers to an 8-5 lead in the first. A kill from McIlroy followed by back-to-back aces from the Garland, Texas, product pushed Auburn to a 15-12 advantage and another Bidzane kill sent the Tigers on another run, making 21-16. An Earl ace gave AU set point and a Barksdale kill sealed the set, 25-19.
TAMU used long rallies to put together a solid showing in set two. The Aggies went ahead 10-3 before the Tigers responded with a run to come within three, 13-10. Texas A&M, however, used a pair of six-point runs to take the set, 25-12.
A Barksdale kill and a solo block from Reece tied the set at six and Aggie errors lifted Auburn to a 10-9 lead in the third stanza. TAMU responded with a 4-0 run to go up 13-10 and pushed for a 17-13 lead. The Aggies held its advantage to the end of the set, winning 25-21.
A pair of kills from Barksdale led to a 5-4 AU lead in the fourth. A tough defensive presence for the Aggies at the net lifted the visitors to a 14-9 lead, but a kill from Jones sent the Tigers on a run to cut the TAMU lead at 15-13. A handful of Aggie errors tied the set at 18 apiece and a pair of McIlroy kills gave Auburn a 22-21 advantage. Texas A&M used its strength at the net and pushed to take the match, 25-23.
Today served as Auburn's Senior Day and the Tigers recognized Barksdale, Stephanie Campbell, Leticia Silva (CiCi), and student manager Jay Mattison prior to the match.