AUBURN, Ala. – Head coach Brent Crouch and the Auburn Tigers (18-7, 8-6) embark on their final road trip of the regular season, setting sail for Starkville, Mississippi to face the Bulldogs (11-13, 4-10) on Wednesday, Nov. 15.
First serve is set for 6 p.m. CT and the match will be streamed live on SEC Network Plus.
QUICK HITS
The Tigers produced one of their best serving matches of the season against Missouri on Sunday. Forcing their opponents out of system on a number of occasions, Auburn also dropped in eight service aces, the most since dialing up nine in a victory at Georgia.
Graduate middle blocker Kyla Swanson's play continues to rise as the season gets into crunch time. The Illinois transfer has hit over .400 in four of the last five matches, including a .526 performance on Sunday.
Fellow middle blocker Kendal Kemp is narrowing in on yet another milestone in her young career. With 284 career blocks, the Eagan, Minnesota native is just 16 away from reaching 300. She would be just the eighth Tiger to complete the feat in program history. Offensively, Kemp is averaging a career-best .394 hitting percentage.
Speaking of milestones, senior setter Jackie Barrett is charging in on one of her own. After reaching fifth all-time in assists, the Highland, California product needs just 115 more assists to reach 300 for her career.
Sophomore outside hitter Madison Scheer is putting together an even more impressive season than her all-freshman campaign. Entering Wednesday's matchup, Scheer is on pace to set single-season bests in kills, kills per set (3.35), hitting percentage (.265), points per set (3.60) and blocks per set (0.48).
Crouch's Tigers remain one of the top-tier blocking teams in the country. At 2.41 blocks per set, Auburn ranks fifth in the SEC and No. 57 in the country. The Team's 239 total blocks are the second-most in the conference and also top-75 in the nation.
LAST TIME OUT VS MISSISSIPPI ST.
Akasha Anderson exploded for 26 kills while Sarah Morton ran down 25 digs in a thrilling five-set affair last season in Neville Arena. Fifteen thunderous blocks from the Auburn defense paved the way as the Tigers outlasted the Bulldogs.
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI ST.
Head coach Julie Darty Dennis is in her sixth season at the helm of the Mississippi State Volleyball program. The Bulldogs enter Wednesday's matchup with an 11-13 overall record and a 4-10 mark in SEC play. While Dennis' squad won't recreate its incredible 2021 campaign, the team still boasts impressive wins over Florida and Ole Miss.
Defensively, it's been the play of graduate Lauren Myrick whose 4.34 digs per set not only lead the team but are also the second-most in the SEC. Her 369 total digs also rank third in the conference.
Like Auburn, Mississippi State relies heavily on its blocks. At 2.48 blocks per set, the Bulldogs rank third in the SEC and No. 42 in the nation. The front row is led by Sanaa Williams and Rebecca Walk. Both are averaging north of 1.00 blocks per set.
Senior outside hitter Karli Schmidt leads the way attacking, bringing in 2.94 kills per set while sophomore Sophie Agee is close behind at 2.83.
AUBURN-MISSISSIPPI ST. SERIES
Last season's five-set win sapped a three-match slide for the Tigers. All-time, Auburn owns a 41-25 record against Mississippi State, including an even 15-15 mark in Starkville. The last time the Orange and Blue won a match inside the Newell-Grissom Building was in 2015.
UP NEXT
Auburn will be back home for the final three matches of the season, beginning on Sunday, Nov. 19 when the team hosts LSU for Military Appreciation Day.
Auburn concludes road slate with Mississippi State
