Oct. 20, 2017
AUBURN vs. #4 FLORIDA
11-7/4-5 vs. 14-1/6-1
MATCH
| Sunday, Oct. 22 | 1:30 p.m. CT | |
| Auburn vs. #4 Florida | ||
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" The Auburn volleyball team (11-7, 4-5 SEC) continues its homestand Sunday, Oct. 22, hosting No. 4 Florida in Auburn Arena. The Tigers and the Gators will face off at 1:30 p.m. CT and the match will be broadcast on SEC Network+ (WatchESPN).
The meeting is Auburn's fifth contest against a nationally-ranked opponent this season and second against a Top 10 team.
PROMOTIONS
It's a Halloween Doubleheader on The Plains Sunday! Come to Auburn Arena for Thrills & Kills with Auburn volleyball and take part in pumpkin painting. After the match, be sure to head to Auburn soccer for some trick-or-treating.
QUICK HITS
- The Auburn volleyball fell to visiting South Carolina, 3-1 (25-19, 27-25, 22-25, 25-19), Wednesday night in Auburn Arena.
- Sophomore Gwyn Jones and junior Brenna McIlroy led the team with 13 kills, while sophomore Shaina White added 11. Senior setter Alexa Filley finished with a match-best 46 assists and chipped in six kills for the Tigers.
- Senior libero Jesse Earl had a team-high 21 digs and sophomore Karis Beasley finished with 10.
- Freshman Anna Stevenson led the squad with three blocks, while a trio of Tigers had two service aces in Courtney Crable, Beasley, and Payton White.
- The Auburn back row ranks third in the SEC with a 15.78 digs/set average, while the team's 16.03 mark in conference-only play is No. 1 in the league.
- Earl is averaging 5.29 digs/set to rank first in the conference and is in the Top 25 nationally. Her 5.94 digs/set in SEC play is also first in the league. She has totaled double-digit digs in all 18 matches this year.
- Filley is among the best in the SEC in assists so far this season, ranking third overall with a 10.82 assists/set average.
- Auburn ranks second in kills against league foes, having a 13.86 average. The squad is also fourth in service aces vs. SEC-only opponents, averaging 1.26 per set.
- Overall, Auburn is fourth in kills (13.74) and assists (12.91) among the SEC.
- Sophomore Shaina White is fifth in the conference and in the Top 20 nationally in hitting efficiency, having 184 kills on the year with a .404 attack percentage.
SCOUTING FLORIDA
- The No. 4 Florida Gators stand at 14-1 overall with a 6-1 mark in SEC action. The team will face Alabama Friday night prior to traveling to Auburn for Sunday's match.
- The Gators went 1-1 last weekend in conference play and first picked up a 3-0 win at Ole Miss, Oct. 13. The team then hosted nationally-ranked Kentucky in Gainesville, falling to the Wildcats in four sets.
- Florida was selected to win the SEC this year according to the Preseason Coaches' Poll.
- Middle blockers Rachael Kramer and Rhamat Alhassan are among the league's most efficient hitters as the pair are Nos. 2 (.426) and 3 (.420) in hitting percentage, respectively. Those marks rank 12th and 16th nationally.
- Alhassan's 1.70 blocks/set average leads the SEC and is third in the country. Kramer and sophomore Cheyenne Huskey are also among the Top 10 in the league in blocking.
- Senior libero Caroline Knop is second in the conference overall with a 4.62 digs/set average. Her 4.32 mark in SEC-only action is fourth.
- As a team, the Gators lead the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.141) and blocks (3.11/set).
A WIN OVER FLORIDA WOULD...
- Be Auburn's second win of the season over a ranked opponent.
- Be Auburn's first-ever win over a Top 5 opponent.
- Give Auburn its fifth win in conference play.
AUBURN-FLORIDA SERIES
- The Gators are 45-3 all-time against Auburn, including a 20-2 record on The Plains.
- Florida won 41 straight before the Tigers topped the Gators in November 2015 in five sets.
- The Gators last visit to Auburn Arena saw the Tigers snap the losing skid to UF.
UP NEXT
Auburn earns a week off of competition before traveling to Columbia, S.C., for a Sunday afternoon contest with South Carolina. The Tigers and the Gamecocks will go head-to-head, Oct. 29, at 12:30 p.m. CT.