AUBURN, Ala. – Returning to Auburn Arena for a showdown with an in-state rival, Auburn volleyball (8-4, 0-2 SEC) welcomes Alabama (8-6, 0-2 SEC) to the Plains for a pair of matches over the weekend.
Saturday's match against the Crimson Tide is set for 4:30 p.m. CT on Saturday. Graham Doty and Keele Eveland will have the call on the SEC Network+. Saturday's match is "All Auburn, All Orange" and will feature a Auburn volleyball t-shirt giveaway while supplies last.
Sunday's series finale is slated for 2 p.m. CT and will air nationally on ESPNU. Sam Gore and Jennifer Hoffman is slated for Sunday's broadcast crew.
Fans can also hear the match locally on WEGL 91.1.
QUICK HITS
- Auburn returns to Auburn Arena to face in-state rival Alabama in a pair of matches over the weekend. Auburn is searching for its first home victory against the Crimson Tide since 2017.
- Facing in-state rival Alabama for the first time since the 2019 season finale, Auburn is searching for its first home win over the Crimson Tide since 2017.
- Leading the conference with a 5.11 digs/set average, Bella Rosenthall has recorded at least 10 digs in 11 of Auburn's 12 matches of the season. A two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Week honoree this season, Rosenthall's digs/set average is currently the second highest recorded in a single season by a Tiger in the 25-point Rally Score era.
- Leading the squad with seven double-doubles this season, sophomore Jackie Barrett has blossomed as the Tigers' starting setter. Her 370 total assists this season ranks eighth overall in the SEC. Barrett's 8.41 assists per set average is the seventh highest recorded in a single season by a Tiger in the 25-point Rally Score era.
- Making the move to middle blocker, Tatum Shipes has shined at the position, leading the team in blocks. She leads the Southeastern Conference and ranks 11th nationally with a 1.44 blocks per set average.
- Bella Rosenthall enters the weekend with 941 career digs. She is just 59 digs shy of becoming just the 15th Tiger in program history to reach 1,000 career digs.
SCOUTING ALABAMA
Also searching for its first win in Southeastern Conference play, Alabama enters the weekend with an 8-6 overall record. The Tide opened league action with losses to both Texas A&M and LSU.
As a team, Alabama ranks third in the SEC in team kills (664) as well as second in the league in total attacks (1,875). As a team, the Tide hit at a .201 clip. Individually, Alabama has three players with over 100 kills this season. Abby Marjama leads the group with 123 total as she averages 2.62 per set. Kennedy Muckelroy and Kendyl Reaugh round out the trio with 109 and 104 kills, respectively.
Alabama is one of the best serving teams in the SEC, ranking second in the league with a 1.60 aces per set average with 85 total this season. Marjama leads the team and the SEC with 30 aces. The total is the third most in the nation. She also leads the league with 0.64 aces per set, a mark that ranks fifth nationally.
Alabama splits its setting duties between Emily Janek and Brooke Slusser. Janek has started 12 of Alabama's 13 matches and has dished out 261 assists to lead the team. She averages 5.93 assists per set. Slusser has added 216 assists with a 4.70 assists per set average.
Janek has a slight edge offensively with eight kills and seven service aces. Slusser has added 12 aces from the service line.
Defensively, Alabama leads the SEC with 801 total team digs. Dru Kuck leads the league with 251 total digs. Her 4.74 digs per set average is good for second in the SEC. Emily Janek is second on the team in digs with 118 this season.
At the net, Alabama has totaled 114.5 blocks, the fifth most in the league. Sarah Swanson led the team with 44.0 total team blocks. Swanson ranks 11th in the league with 1.07 blocks per set.
UP NEXT
The Tigers hit the road next weekend for a pair of matches in Fayetteville against Arkansas. The series begins on Saturday, Oct. 9 with a 5 p.m. CT first serve. Sunday's finale is set for 3 p.m. CT. Both matches will air on the SEC Network+.