AUBURN, Ala. – In the final midweek match inside Auburn Arena, senior Tatum Shipes overhauled the record book yet again, setting the program's season record for block assists in Wednesday's contest against South Carolina.
Following a tight opening stanza, the Gamecocks (14-11, 6-9 SEC) took Wednesday's match over the Tigers (13-11, 5-9 SEC) in straight sets (23-25, 13-25, 22-25).
Leading the team with four blocks, Shipes brought her assists total to 110 to surpass Camila Jersonsky (2012) for the program's single-season record. Shipes broke the Tigers' single-season record for total blocks earlier this season with her total now standing at 130.
Shipes was Auburn's most efficient hitter of the night with seven kills on nine swings. Limited to just one error, Shipes attacked at a .667 clip.
Junior Rebekah Rath led the squad with 10 kills while adding a pair of digs and one block. Rath is now just 17 kills shy of setting the program's single-season record. Senior Val Green chipped in eight kills on a .333 hitting percentage and closed the night with two blocks.
Rounding out the offense was graduate student Liz Reich and senior Elif Yavuz as the pair totaled eight and five kills, respectively.
Sophomore Jackie Barrett started Wednesday's match at setter. She dished out 12 assists while adding five digs, one block and a kill. Jordan Sinness entered the match during the third set. The freshman totaled 12 assists and a dig.
Behind her team-leading 13 digs, senior Bella Rosenthall now has the seventh most digs by a Tiger in a single season with 447. Rosenthall was also credited with a pair of assists. The freshman defensive duo of Fallan Lanham and Kate Curtis each picked up eight digs Wednesday night.
SET ONE
The Tigers claimed anearly lead in the opening stanza, 8-3, due in part to a pair of service aces from Yavuz and Curtis and kills from Rath and Shipes. Both teams then traded blows before South Carolina overtook the Tigers, 13-12, with a 6-0 run with help of three aces from Mallory Dixon. Following the media timeout, a pair of kills and blocks from both Green and Shipes tied the set at 19-all. The Gamecocks surged late to reach set point, 24-21. Auburn was able to fight off a pair of set points before South Carolina put the opening frame away, 25-23.
SET TWO
South Carolina opened the second set with a 7-1 scoring run with Dixon at the service line to force an early Auburn timeout. The Tigers picked up points on three kills from Green and a block from Shipes. A late Reich kill was the final offensive attack in the set as the Tigers fell 25-13.
SET THREE
Trading point for point through the early stages, both squads found themselves tied at 11. The Tigers picked up points of six kills from Rath and three from Reich. Scores remained tight before a Tiger service error gave the Gamecocks a 15-13 advantage at the media timeout. Out of the timeout, South Carolina pieced together a 3-1 run before the Tigers answered with a pair of kills from Shipes to sway the momentum in Auburn's favor. The teams battled head-to-head in the late stages, with the Tigers fighting off a pair of set points. South Carolina held on for a 25-22 victory.
UP NEXT
Auburn faces a top-25 road test next Wednesday, Nov. 17 at No. 22 Florida. First serve on SEC Network+ is set for 6 p.m. CT.
Shipes sets second blocking record in home midweek finale
