AUBURN, Ala. – Like Gus Malzahn and Bruce Pearl before him, Auburn volleyball coach Brent Crouch plans to use a fast-paced, attacking style of play to build his program on the Plains.
"Aggressive," said Crouch, who will make his Auburn debut Oct. 21 when the Tigers open the season vs. Florida at 7 p.m. CT at Auburn Arena.Jump serves will be the norm for Auburn volleyball under Brent CrouchEveryone will jump serve. More attackers in the front and back rows.
"The tempo of the offense will be much quicker," Crouch said. "On defense, they're basically just unleashed to go block everything everywhere. More aggressive blocking, more people up in more situations. Across the board, it'll be a fast, aggressive style of play.
"This is what's happening at the international levels. It's what wins. It will also be different than how a lot of SEC teams play. It will be a fun style of volleyball to watch."'Unleashed': Auburn plans to play aggressively on offense and defenseCrouch anticipates growing pains as the Tigers implement a new style.
"Even if we're not getting the results right away, or it's really uncomfortable or it's adding another layer of stress to the competition, I want us doing that," he said. "That's going to be pay bigger dividends down the road, quicker. I want us to have fun a little bit, connect out there and play really, really hard.
"There are going to be moments in every match that are going to stand out like, 'Oh, that's what Auburn volleyball is going to look like once we get things habitual,' so that will be exciting."
Two months after Crouch joined Auburn's program from the University of Southern California, the coronavirus pandemic halted team workouts, with virtual instruction replacing on-court practice.
"In the beginning of programs, it's about laying the foundation," he said. "The foundations are always about fundamentals. We did a lot of video in the spring, especially around defense.
"Zoom lends itself to that piece of it. Zoom obviously doesn't lend itself to actually practicing any of the concepts. I think we were actually able to accomplish more in the spring than a lot of teams because they already had their systems in place."
Auburn's fall schedule consists of eight matches, two each against Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. Competition will resume in the spring.
"We are excited to start playing somebody other than ourselves, see where we are and get some competition under our belts. To be able to do something and feel safe about it – and we do – is a real gift."'A real gift': Auburn volleyball coach Brent Crouch appreciates the opportunity to compete this fall
"Players like to play that style, just unleashed."
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) October 12, 2020
🗣@AuburnVBCoach @AuburnVB begins 2020-21 season next Wednesday vs. Florida at 7 p.m. CT at Auburn Arena
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Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer