AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 5 Auburn gymnastics team is set to welcome No. 20 NC State on Friday, January 27, in Neville Arena. The Tigers and the Wolfpack will face off at 7 p.m. CT and the meet will be streamed on SEC Network+.
"NC State is going to come in here and are going to be really good," head coach Jeff Graba said. "We aren't taking this Friday lightly. They are a team that has made some really good postseason runs and it is going to be a great test for us. We need to stay focused and just get better this Friday."
All six of Auburn's opponents so far this season have been ranked inside the top 25. The Tigers have faced No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Michigan, No. 6 UCLA and No. 23 Arkansas.
"We haven't had it easy that's for sure," Graba said. "Having a nonconference competition like the one this Friday against a really solid team like NC State just only makes us better when we get to the postseason."
The Tigers are looking forward to enjoying the comforts of Neville Arena once again in front of the home crowd.
"We have to cherish every home meet we get," Graba said. "Neville Arena brings such an advantage and that's the best atmosphere in college gymnastics. It's always something special to be a part of and we can't wait to see what happens on Friday."
FAN INFORMATION
There are limited Standing Room Only tickets left for the meet on Friday. Please go HERE to purchase.
You can also purchase from our partner, StubHub, by going HERE. StubHub is the official secondary ticket partner of Auburn Athletics.
The Neville Arena Lot is reserved for those with a parking pass until the end of the pre-meet activities. Fans are encouraged to park in the Campus Safety Lot for quick entry to the 100-200 levels. Additional free parking is also available in the Coliseum Lot, Stadium Parking Deck, and the Athletics Complex Deck (top level). Please refer to the parking map for parking lot locations and post-meet traffic flow information located HERE.
POTENTIAL LINEUP
The 2023 Auburn gymnastics squad brings a wealth of experience to the table this season as the team lost just two routines from 2022. The tentative lineup features one fifth year, five seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and one freshman.
Auburn will kick off the evening on vault in the first rotation. The team leads the SEC and is fourth nationally with a 49.333 average so far this season.
Fifth year Derrian Gobourne, sophomore Sunisa Lee and senior Cassie Stevens lead Auburn's top eight as all three rank among the nation's best in the event. Lee is coming off a career-best 9.95 vs. Arkansas and moved up to sixth nationally on vault (9.917).
Gobourne has a 9.950 under her belt this season with a 9.9 average so far. Stevens also has a 9.9 average and the pair rank tied for 12th nationally.
Joining the trio in the vault potential lineup is senior Adeline Sabados, junior Olivia Hollingsworth, sophomores Sophia Groth and Sara Hubbard and freshman Hannah Hagle. Hollingsworth, Groth and Hubbard have all been in the lineup this season and this is the first time this season that Hagle has cracked the top eight.
The Tigers move on to bars where they have a 49.342 average. Lee and Gobourne lead the way for the team with Stevens, Hollingsworth, Groth and Sabados also vying for a spot in the lineup. Lee put together a season-best 9.975 last week, while Gobourne has scored above a 9.9 this season. Stevens has earned three-straight 9.85s for the Tigers.
Joining them all in the top eight is senior Anna Sumner and junior Gabby McLaughlin. McLaughlin competed in the season-opening Super 16 as well as last week vs. Arkansas, earning 9.85s in both contests.
The squad will move on to beam in rotation three and have a 49.275 average on the year.
The squad will be led by All-Americans Lee and Groth. Lee is the NCAA champion in the event, earning a 10.0 to start the season in Las Vegas (Jan. 7). She ranks seventh nationally with a 9.908 average.
Groth is a two-time All-American and All-SEC performer on beam. McLaughlin, Hollingsworth, Stevens and senior Aria Brusch all return from last year's lineup with big scoring potential, while Oldham and Hubbard have earned a spot in the top eight.
Auburn heads to floor for the for the final rotation and are coming off a season-best 49.550 last week.
Gobourne headlines the floor lineup after finishing second nationally and earning two All-America honors in the event last year. She has earned back-to-back 9.95s and ranks tied for third nationally with a 9.933 average.
Joining Gobourne in the top eight are Brusch, Lee, Stevens, Hollingsworth and McLaughlin. Lee debuted a new routine last week and tied her career best with a 9.975.
Hollingsworth set a career high vs. the Razorbacks with a 9.9 in the leadoff spot, while Stevens also has a 9.9 under her belt this year.
Also battling for a spot in the lineup this week is senior Morgan Leigh Oldham and Groth.
UP NEXT
The Tigers return to the road, traveling to rival and No. 13 Alabama next Friday. The two teams will face off on February 3 at 6:30 p.m. CT in Tuscaloosa. The contest will be televised on SEC Network.
