COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Auburn volleyball team dropped the final match of a 10-match road swing, falling 3-0 (19-25, 13-25, 17-25) to South Carolina Sunday afternoon at the Carolina Volleyball Center in Columbia, S.C.
Sophomore Tatum Shipes led Auburn (6-7, 0-2 SEC) in kills for the fourth time this season with 12, adding eight digs in the contest. Senior Enija Bidzane followed Shipes with eight kills, while juniors Chesney McClellan and Jaeden Brown each had three.
Junior libero Payton White led the Tigers with 10 digs, reaching double-digit digs for the 10th time in 13 matches. Freshman Molly Pember contributed six. Junior setter Morgan Kull finished with 26 assists.
South Carolina (9-5, 1-1 SEC) was led by senior Claire Edwards' 10 kills, while setter Courtney Koehler picked up 17 helpers. Senior Mikayla Shields and junior Jess Vastine paced SC defensively with eight digs.
Auburn returns home for the first time in over a month to square off with in-state rival Alabama. First serve from Auburn Arena is set for Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
SET ONE
Auburn opened up with a 9-7 lead, taking advantage of early SC errors. South Carolina used a 7-0 run to jump ahead, 17-12. The Gamecocks capitalized on Tiger miscues to take the opening stanza, 25-19.
SET TWO
South Carolina opened the stanza on a 13-2 charge. Auburn pushed a 3-0 run highlighted by a big swing from Bidzane to draw closer, but SC would go on to take the set, 25-13.
SET THREE
McClellan picked up a pair of aces on a 5-0 push to put the Tigers up, 11-7. The Gamecocks once again took advantage of Auburn errors to go up 22-14. Shipes picked up her team-leading 16th ace of the season, but SC closed the match out with a 25-17 win in the final set.