AUBURN, Ala. – It's a match up between the top two squads in the Southeastern Conference standings as Auburn volleyball (8-1) opens league action against Ole Miss (11-0) at Auburn Arena Wednesday evening.
"Ole Miss has done a nice job turning the program around in the last year," said head coach Brent Crouch. "They have a great coach, Kayla Banwarth, a former Olympic player. She's done some nice work with that group. They have some solid hitters in really all the spots. They are able to set the middle a lot, even from off the net which is a little bit unusual and present a fun challenge for us."
First serve Wednesday night is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT. The match will be nationally televised on ESPNU with Sam Gore and Jennifer Hoffman on the call. The match will also be available on the airwaves locally on WEGL 91.1 and on the Auburn Sports Network.
PROMOTIONS
Fans will receive a free Auburn volleyball branded hair tie/scrunchie while supplies last.
QUICK HITS
- Jackie Barrett enters Wednesday's match with an active double-double streak of four matches. Over the span she has recorded 156 assists and 73 digs.
- Earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week, Bella Rosenthall became the first player in program history to win the award in back-to-back weeks.
- Making the move to middle blocker, Tatum Shipes has shined at the position, leading the team in blocks. She ranks seventh nationally with a 1.66 blocks per set average.
- Welcoming undefeated Ole Miss to Auburn Arena to open Southeastern Conference play, Auburn is searching for its first victory to open league action since 2017. That season The Tigers knocked off Ole Miss in four sets.
- While Ole Miss leads the all-time series, 35-31, Auburn holds the advantage as of late with wins in eight of the last 10 meetings. The Tigers hold a 14-11 advantage against the Rebels in games played in Auburn.
- Leading the conference with a 5.59 digs/set average, Bella Rosenthall enters league action as a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Week honoree. She has recorded at least 10 digs in nine consecutive matches. She is the first Tiger to be honor with the award multiple times in a single season since Camila Jersonsky in 2012.
- Defense has been key to Auburn's early success to begin the season. The Tigers ranks second in the SEC and rank 17th nationally with a 2.78 blocks/set average. The Tigers also lead the league and rank second in all of Division I volleyball by holding opponents to a .097 hitting percentage.
SCOUTING OLE MISS
One of just nine remaining undefeated teams in the country, Ole Miss enters conference play on top of the league standings with an 11-0 record. The Rebels' non-conference was highlighted by a top-15 victory at Western Kentucky, the program's first since 2010.
Offensively, Ole Miss leads the SEC with a .300 team hitting percentage. Anna Bair is the team leader in kills with 125 total, as she averages 3.57 per set, ranking 12th in the SEC. Samantha Schnitta and Sasha Ratliff are key contributors on offense as the duo each contributes over two kills per set for the Rebels.
Schnitta leads Ole Miss at the service line with 10 total aces (0.29/set). The Rebels have totaled 52 aces this season and rank eighth in the league in aces/set.
Leading the Rebels to their SEC-high .300 hitting percentage is starting setting Kylee McLaughlin. McLaughlin has dished out 385 total assists as she calls the Rebel offense. She ranks fifth in the league with a 10.41 digs per set average.
Defensively, the Rebels lead the league with 105.0 total team blocks. The team's 2.76 blocks per set average is good for third overall in the league. Payton Brgouch and Sasha Ratliff top the team in blocks with 46.0 and 41.0, respectively. Brgouch ranks second in the SEC with a 1.48 blocks per set average.
Sam Burgio leads the team in digs with 113 to average 3.32 per set. Setter McLaughlin ranks second on the team with 92 total digs. She averages 2.54 per set.
ATTENDANCE AND FAN POLICIES
Arena doors will open one hour prior to each match.
All fans and students will enter Auburn Arena at the Scholarship Entrance. Sections A-N will be open for seating on a first-come, first-serve basis. Seats directly behind the team benches will be marked and unavailable for fans to provide a buffer for competing student-athletes and coaches.
Auburn University currently requires all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings inside all Auburn University buildings, which includes Auburn Arena.
Fans will be able to use the restrooms and concessions in the Aubie Chow area accessed via the Northwest tunnel. The Team Shop will be set up by Aubie Chow for fans attending the matches. The main Team Shop location located by the North Main Entrance will be open during regular business hours and will only be accessible from the exterior of Auburn Arena.
All transactions for concessions and merchandise locations at Auburn Arena will be contactless and cashless (credit/debit and Tiger Cards only).
For the full list of attendance and safety protocols CLICK HERE.
UP NEXT
Auburn will make the short trek to Montgomery, Ala., on Sunday for a non-conference contest at Alabama State. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT.