AUBURN, Ala. – The 2023 Auburn Volleyball season has finally arrived. The Tigers will kick off the campaign on Friday, August 25 against Coppin State at 6 p.m. CT as part of the War Eagle Invitational.
Head coach Brent Crouch and co. will play two matches on Saturday, August 26. The Tigers will feature bright and early at 10 a.m. CT against McNeese State and will play Jacksonville State at 7 p.m. CT.
All matches are free admission and for those fans unable to make it to Neville Arena, each match will be streamed on SEC Network Plus.
Crouch begins his fourth season on the Plains. In 2022, Crouch led the Tigers to arguably its best season in program history, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament and finishing with a 22-9 record with a 10-8 mark in the SEC.
Auburn returns all 12 of its student-athletes from the 2022 campaign and adds six new faces to bolster the roster. Transfers Bella Bell, Kyla Swanson, Peyton Dunn and Paige Thibault will all debut in the Orange and Blue. Freshmen Jasmine Okeoma and Lakin Laurendine have each made their way to Neville to begin their respective careers.
A win on Friday would give Auburn its third consecutive win to the open a season. Crouch is 2-1 on opening day, with his only loss coming during the shortened 2020 season.
The last time Auburn won on opening day in three straight seasons was 2012-15 when the Tigers won its first match four years in a row.
For the second time under Crouch, the Tigers are receiving votes in the AVCA/Taraflex Top-25 Coaches Poll. Auburn finished the 2022 campaign with 29 votes and has opened up 2023 with 62. The Tigers are one of seven SEC programs to feature either inside the top 25 or receive votes. Kentucky (10th), Florida (11th), Arkansas (25th) and Tennessee (84 votes) were the only conference foes to tally more than Auburn.
Minnesota native Kendal Kemp announced herself to the collegiate volleyball world in 2022. Kemp set single-season program records in solo blocks (26), block assists (154), total blocks (180) and blocks per set (1.48). Earning AVCA South Region Honorable Mention, Kemp's totals were also second in the Southeastern Conference and her 180 total blocks were the second-most in the country.
Speaking of blocks, Auburn's team totals were nothing short of brilliant. In the rally-scoring era, the 2022 Tiger team set single-season records in block assists (520), total blocks (312) and blocks per set (2.56).
Auburn is now 19-14 at home under head coach Brent Crouch, including wins in 19 of its last 29 games at home. All-time Auburn is 68-59 in Neville.
LAST TIME OUT
The last time fans saw Auburn in an official match, the Tigers went toe-to-toe with then No. 23 Houston in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Madison Scheer's 17 kills were the most by a Tiger in the NCAA Tournament, both Jackie Barrett and Akasha Anderson each snagged a double-double and Kendal Kemp capped the Auburn single-season block record at 180.
SCOUTING COPPIN STATE
Seventh-year head coach Tim Walsh has his program rolling. Last year, the Eagles finished 23-11 with a 12-2 mark in conference to win the MEAC regular-season title. Despite falling to Delaware State in the MEAC Tournament, Coppin State earned the program's first postseason berth in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
The Eagles enter the season as the favorite to repeat as regular-season champs. Ashley Roman, Andrea Tzvetanova and Ammaarah Williams each picked up preseason honors as well.
Roman is a four-time All-MEAC selection and holds the program record in digs with 1,944. Tzvetanova returns as the reigning Co-Setter of the Year following a league-leading 1,198 assists (also a school record) and was named a VolleyMag.com All-American. Williams on the other hand, is a three-time All-MEAC selection after leading the conference in points with 415.5.
SCOUTING MCNEESE STATE
Sasha Karelov embarks on her second season at the helm of the Cowgirl Volleyball program. Last year, McNeese finished with an 18-16 record with a 13-5 mark in conference. The Cowgirls swept Texas A&M-Commerce before falling to Southeastern in the Southland Tournament semifinals.
Entering 2023, McNeese was picked to finish fourth in the Southland. Libero Bailey Tillman and Middle Blocker Sanni Rantanen also picked up preseason All-Conference honors.
Tillman racked up 5.09 digs per set and collected 630 digs last season. Meanwhile, Rantanen was third in the SLC with a .348 hitting percentage, fifth in blocks per set a 1.00 and seventh in aces per set with 0.36.
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE
It's a new era in many respects for the Gamecocks. Not only does Derek Schroeder take over a sturdy program in Jacksonville, but he does so in the team's first expedition in Conference USA.
Schroeder inherited a program that won titles in both the Ohio Valley and ASUN conferences. After a 24-6 record in 2022, Schroeder will be looking to keep the momentum going this fall.
Brooklyn Schiffli is the lone returner who logged a start last season for the Gamecocks. The Indianapolis, Indiana native played in 30 matches, piling up 250 digs and 18 aces last season.
The rest of the squad is built with transfers Clarke Adams, Ellie Garrett, Kaylee Moseley, Stavroula Papazoglou and Katelyn Crofts as well as freshmen Hana Aiana and Selin Sakiroglu.
AUBURN-COPPIN STATE SERIES
Friday will mark the first time the Tigers and Eagles have clashed on the volleyball court.
AUBURN-MCNEESE STATE SERIES
Auburn will be looking to avenge a 2003 loss to the Cowgirls, the only time the two programs have met. McNeese won in straight sets during the Heritage Classic in Ames, Iowa.
AUBURN-JACKSONVILLE STATE SERIES
The Tigers welcome the Gamecocks to Neville for the first time since 2014. Last season, Auburn emerged victorious in a thrilling five-setter up in Jacksonville. All-time, the Orange and Blue are 8-2 against JSU and 5-1 in matches played on the Plains.
WITH A WIN
A win on Friday would give Auburn its third consecutive win to the open a season. Head coach Brent Crouch is 2-1 on opening day, with his only loss coming during the shortened 2020 season.
The last time Auburn won on opening day in three straight seasons was 2012-15 when the Tigers won its first match four years in a row.
Auburn Volleyball kicks off 2023 with War Eagle Invitational
