ATLANTA – The Auburn volleyball team put together a strong showing in its first action against an opponent, downing Georgia Tech, 3-1 (25-22, 25-16, 19-25, 25-23), Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
"This was exactly what we were looking for with this youthful team in a loud environment," head coach Rick Nold said. "We were able to move lineups around so we could see how they handled it. We saw a lot of versatility with the team and am very happy with where we are in the preseason."
Three Tigers finished in double digits offensively with senior Brenna McIlroy leading the way. The Garland, Texas, product came away with 15 kills and added 10 digs with three aces for Auburn.
Freshman Tatum Shipes followed with 13 kills, while sophomore Anna Stevenson had 11 kills and seven blocks. Freshman Mica Allison led all student-athletes with 42 assists and added four blocks and five digs.
The backrow put together solid performances, leading the match with 63 digs combined. Sophomore Payton White got the starting nod at libero and finished with 14 digs, while freshman Bella Rosenthall also picked up 14 in the back. Junior Karis Beasley added eight digs for the Tigers.
Auburn kicks off the regular season at home, hosting the annual War Eagle Invitational, Aug. 24-25. The squad welcomes two solid opponents in High Point and Michigan, taking on the Panthers Friday night at 6:30 p.m. CT and following with a 7 p.m. CT match Saturday against the Wolverines. Admission is free to all volleyball matches in Auburn Arena this season.