Rath leads Tigers in three-set battle at #20 Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Moving one step closer to history with a double-digit kill effort, junior Rebekah Rath led Auburn volleyball (13-12, 5-10 SEC) offensively Wednesday night at Exactech Arena, but #20 Florida (18-6, 12-2) claimed the match in straight sets (11-25, 15-25, 19-25).

Returning to her home state, Rath turned in her 21st match of the season with at least 10 kills.

The junior recorded 10 while adding three digs and a block defensively. Rath brought her season total to 404 to join Jessica Glover (2008) as the only two Tigers to record over 400 kills in a season during the rally-scoring era. Rath is just seven kills shy of overtaking Glover for the program record.

Graduate student Liz Reich totaled four kills for the Tigers, while picking up one block assist and a pair of digs. Senior Tatum Shipes took seven offensive swings with three landing for kills.

Shipes was credited with three blocks to bring her season total to 133. Already holding the program's rally-scoring season record, Shipes is now tied for sixth in school history for total blocks in a season, regardless of era.

Junior Jackie Barrett served as setter for the Tigers, dishing out 16 assists. Barrett's stat line included two kills, six digs and a block. Rounding out the offense was senior Val Green, who picked up a kill in the match. Green was also credited with an assist, three digs and a block.

At the service line, senior Elif Su Yavuz earned the only Tiger ace in the match. She also recorded one dig and a block.

Defensively, Auburn was led by senior Bella Rosenthall's nine digs, which moved Rosenthall to sixth in Auburn single-season history for total digs (rally-scoring era) at 456.

SET ONE
Auburn struggled to find rhythm offensively in the opening stanza as Florida held the Tigers to five kills in the opening set. Rath did the bulk of the damage totally three of the five Auburn kills. The Tigers scored six additional points in the set via four Florida service errors and a pair of Gator attacking errors. Florida used a .464 hitting percentage in the opening stanza to jump out early, ultimately winning the set, 25-11.
 
SET TWO
After Florida jumped out to a 2-0 lead, Auburn responded with a kill from Rath and a strike from the service line by Yavuz to tie the set. Three kills from the Tigers trio of Rath, Reich and Barrett pulled the Tigers within one, 6-5, before Florida's offense went on a 4-0 run to pad its lead. Reich silenced the rally with a kill, Auburn's final point ahead of the media timeout. Following the timeout, Rath and Shipes landed strikes to cut the lead to 16-10. Auburn was unable to find offense late as Florida claimed the set 25-15.
 
SET THREE
Starting the set with a kill from Reich, Auburn had an answer for every Florida attack as the teams combined for five ties through the opening points before the Gators reeled off three straight kills to build a 10-7 lead. Rath would land a pair of kills, but Florida extended its lead to 18-12 to force a Tiger timeout. Auburn spread the offense late with kills from three different Tiges, but Florida took the final set 25-19.
 
UP NEXT
The Tigers return to Auburn Arena for their final home matches of the regular season as Auburn hosts No. 8 Kentucky for a pair of matches. The series begins Saturday at 4:30 p.m. CT. Sunday's finale is slated for 1 p.m. CT. Both matches will air on the SEC Network+. Auburn will honor its 2021 senior class in a special pre-match ceremony on Saturday.