COLUMBIA, Mo. – A third straight 20-kill performance from Akasha Anderson wasn't enough to outlast Missouri as Auburn dropped just its second match of the season, 1-3 (25-15, 21-25, 15-25, 27-29).
Both offenses were operating at a ridiculously high pace early. Midway through the opening frame, both Auburn and Mizzou were hitting north of .700.
Like Saturday, it was the Orange and Blue's aggressive serving that paved the way.
Three aces from Fallan Lanham sparked a 5-1 scoring run, allowing Auburn to take full control of the set. Akasha Anderson added three aces of her own, totaling the team's count to seven before the set ended.
With offense finishing with a .696 hitting percentage behind a staggering nine kills from Anderson, head coach Brent Crouch's team earned an early lead.
It was more of the same from Anderson in the second frame. The freshman added six more kills to get to 15 by the end of the set.
Auburn fought back from an 18-15 deficit to tie it at 20. However, a mini-run from Mizzou was too much for the Orange and Blue to overcome, tying the match at a set apiece.
The home side picked up where it left off to begin the third. Missouri hit .370 and combined with eight Auburn errors, the Orange and Blue dug themselves a hole they just couldn't get out of.
Zoe Slaughter did her best to try, though, energizing a 4-0 run towards the end of the set, including her first ace of the match. The deficit proved too deep, however, as Missouri took the lead heading into the fourth.
Auburn's block came alive when they needed it most. After registering just one in the previous three sets, Crouch's team mustered up three big ones to keep pace with Missouri.
Midway through the frame, it was Jackie Barrett who started to take matters into her own hands. Three kills and an ace kept the Orange and Blue within reach.
Tensions mounted with the set tied at 20. Madison Scheer dug deep for a huge pair of kills and Sarah Morton and company were flying around making plays in the back row.
Four separate times, the gritty Auburn crew staved off match points. Ultimately, it was Missouri who found the points at the end, handing Auburn just its second loss of the season.
MATCH NOTES
- Akasha Anderson's four aces were a career-high
- Anderson eclipsed the 20-kill mark for the third straight match
- Kendal Kemp's 10 kills tied a career-best
- Sarah Morton (14 digs) reach 10-plus digs for the 17th time this season
- Auburn's 11 aces marked the seventh time this season the team has recorded 10 or more
CROUCH'S COMMENTS
"I thought it was going to be a real tough match today and it was. Hats off to them, they played great. We just did not have an answer for their two outsides. They had great matches, yesterday and today. It usually comes down to serve-pass and who's hitting better on the left. And we just did not get enough kills on the left and theirs were extremely good today."
NEXT UP
Auburn returns to Neville Arena on Friday, Oct. 21 for a date with Tennessee at 7 p.m. CT. Friday's contest also marks the Tiger's annual dig pink match.