TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – In a tightly contested match, the Auburn volleyball team fell just short at No. 25 Alabama, 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 25-23). The Tigers moved to 7-5 overall and 0-2 in the Southeastern Conference.
"This was two really good teams battling today," head coach Rick Nold said. "When it came down to it, we just didn't give ourselves opportunities and made some costly errors at the end."
Freshman Taylor Rowland led the squad with 16 kills, while junior Gwyn Jones and sophomore Anna Stevenson added 14 and 12, respectively. That number was a season best for Jones on the right side. Senior Brenna McIlroy chipped in 10 for the Tiger offense.
The Auburn blockers put up another big number for the squad, having 11 on the day. Jones set a career high with six blocks, while Shaina White tied her season high with five. Stevenson also chipped in five for the Tigers
Freshman setter Mica Allison picked up her third double-double of the season, having 41 assists and 13 digs. Classmate Bella Rosenthall finished with 13 digs at libero.
Alabama (13-2, 1-1) was led by Ginger Perinar with 16 kills, while Doris Carter added 13. Hayley McSparin finished with 11 kills and libero Kaylee Thomas had a match-high 19 digs.
Back-to-back kills from McIlroy gave Auburn a quick 4-2 lead in the first, but the Tide responded with four-straight points to jump ahead 6-4. Alabama errors made it 9-9 before a pair of pushes from the home team lifted UA to a 15-11 advantage. The Tigers came within one at 20-19 on a kill from Rowland and a S. White/Jones block, but the hometown hold was strong enough to give the Tide the 25-22 win.
After taking a 6-2 lead to start set two, Alabama followed with a handful of errors to lock the set at 7-7. A pair of pushes from the Tide lifted the home team to a 16-13 lead, but kills from Jones and a Jones/S. White block tied it up again at 18-18. The squads battled back and forth until strong play at the net from the Tigers gave Auburn set point, 24-22. Rowland sealed the set with a kill, 25-23.
Big swings from the Tide pushed Alabama ahead at 8-5 in the third and the home team held the advantage throughout a good portion of the set. A kill from McIlroy and a Stevenson/Allison block pushed Auburn to a 20-19 lead and forced a Bama timeout. The Tide regrouped and pushed the ahead at 22-20 and held to take the set, 25-23.
Alabama continued momentum into the fourth and took a quick 7-3 lead. Kills from Rowland and a big solo stuff by the freshman tied the set at 7-7, but the Tide pushed another run for a 10-7 lead. Auburn responded to tie the set at 13-all and the teams went back and forth until a four-point Tide run made it 20-17. A Jones/S. White block and a service ace from Karis Beasley forced a Bama timeout with the home team up 22-21 and the Tigers stalled two UA match points. The Tide, however, held to win the contest with a 25-23 victory.
Auburn continues life on the road with a pair of contests in Mississippi. The squad has its first Wednesday night match at Mississippi State, Sept. 26, starting at 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU. The Tigers follow with a Sunday afternoon faceoff at Ole Miss, Sept. 30. AU and the Rebels will go head-to-head at 2 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
