June 20, 2017
2017 Schedule
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬"The Auburn volleyball team will face another challenging schedule in 2017 that includes nine NCAA Tournament participants, head coach Rick Nold announced Tuesday.
The Tigers return three All-SEC performers from the 2016 squad that finished tied for fifth in the conference at 9-9. The league finish was the best for the program since 2010. Auburn finished 15-16 overall last season, while winning nine matches in Auburn Arena.
"We are excited to announce a 2017 schedule that will certainly prepare us well for the SEC season, but will also give us the opportunity to establish ourselves against some of the top competition in the country," Nold said.
Auburn opens the season on the road, traveling to Atlanta for a tournament at Georgia Tech, Aug. 25-26. The Tigers face the Yellow Jackets on the first day and follow with a pair of matches against Furman and Michigan State the next.
The squad's home opener is set for Aug. 29 as AU welcomes NCAA participant Alabama State to Auburn Arena at 7 p.m. CT. The team then takes to the road again, flying to Puerto Rico for the SEC vs. ACC Challenge. The two-day tournament will be held in San Juan, P.R., Sept. 2-3, with the Tigers facing North Carolina, who advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, and North Carolina State.
Auburn returns to The Plains for the annual War Eagle Invitational, Sept. 8-9. The team will open with a 6 p.m. match on Friday vs. in-state rival South Alabama. The Tigers follow with another 6 p.m. tilt the next day, taking on Clemson.
Auburn's non-conference schedule will wrap up with a tournament in Miami, Fla., Sept. 15-16. The Tigers open with a busy Friday, taking on NCAA participant James Madison as well as FIU in FIU Arena. Saturday has Auburn in Coral Gables, facing Miami (Fla.) to close out the non-conference slate.
The team's SEC schedule will kick off Friday, Sept. 22, with Auburn traveling Ole Miss before capping the weekend on the road at Georgia, Sept. 24. Auburn follows with another weekend conference series, hosting SEC co-champion Missouri (Sept. 29) and Arkansas (Oct. 1) in Auburn Arena.
Three of the next four matches will be on the road, including a pair of road tilts against NCAA Tournament participants Kentucky and Texas A&M. Following an Oct. 4 match at Tennessee, the Tigers will face off with Kentucky in Lexington, Oct. 8. Auburn returns to The Plains for a Friday-night match vs. LSU, Oct. 13, before heading out again to take on the Aggies in College Station (Oct. 15).
Auburn caps the month with two of three matches in Auburn Arena. The Tigers will host South Carolina (Oct. 18) and reigning SEC co-champion Florida (Oct. 22) before turning around and taking on the Gamecocks again in Columbia, S.C., (Oct. 28).
Four of Auburn's matches in November will be at home, including three-straight. The team's only match-up vs. rival Alabama will be in Auburn Arena, Nov. 1. The Tigers return to competition following a nine-day break with a busy weekend hosting Tennessee (Nov. 10) and Kentucky (Nov. 12).
The team takes to the road again with a match at LSU (Nov. 15) before capping their home slate with a faceoff vs. Mississippi State, Nov. 19. Auburn's final two matches will be away from The Plains, beginning with a Wednesday-night tilt at Florida (Nov. 22). The regular season will close in Fayetteville, Ark., as the team takes on Arkansas, Nov. 25.
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