AUBURN, Ala. – After another successful journey through non-conference action, Auburn (10-1, 0-0) kicks off its SEC slate with No. 12 Kentucky (6-5,0-0) Friday evening inside Neville Arena.
First serve is set for 8 p.m. CT and admission is free. For those unable to make it to the Plains on Friday, the match will be broadcast live on the SEC Network. Sam Gore and Emily Ehman will have the call.
QUICK HITS
The Tigers have showcased their defensive capabilities early this season. Holding opponents to a 0.141 hitting percentage, Auburn sets the pace for the SEC while ranked No. 17 in the country.
Head coach Brent Crouch’s blocking unit continues to excel as the season unfolds. The Tigers have the best average in the conference for blocks per set (2.99), a mark that stands as No. 9 nationally.
Freshman Emma Moore and graduate Chelsey McCurdy maintain their dominant performance in the front row. Moore’s 1.39 blocks per set is the third-best mark in the Southeastern Conference, and McCurdy’s 1.32 stands at No. 5. Moore's average ranks No. 2 in the country among freshmen.
With their 19.14 digs per set, the back row sustains their electric performance, remaining No. 1in the SEC and No. 2 in all of Division I Volleyball.
Freshman Lauren Dreves (4.22 d/s) and junior Alexis Dacosta (3.67 d/s) extend their solid digging performances into week five. The pair ranks within the top 10 in the Southeastern Conference.
Dreves sits fifth in the SEC, behind four liberos. There is no other freshman outside hitter in the nation that meets the minimum requirements to be ranked nationally in digs per set. In fact, there are only nine outside hitters in all of Division I Volleyball who meet the requirements. Dreves ranks fourth among them.
Fellow rookie Kalei Edson has shown how dynamic her serves can be. With 18 aces through 11 matches, Edson ranks fourth in the conference in both total aces and aces per set (0.49). Among freshmen, Edson ranks No. 1 in the SEC and No. 9 in the country.
LAST TIME OUT
Head coach Brent Crouch and the Auburn Tigers took care of business in Birmingham at the Alabama Showdown. With wins over Samford, UAB and South Alabama, Auburn took its second consecutive title belt at the tournament. Freshman Lauren Dreves picked up her third and fourth double-double of the young season while Madison Scheer picked up a season-high 18 kills in the finale over the Jaguars. Graduate right side Bella Bell also reached a career milestone, eclipsing 500 kills.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY
Head coach Craig Skinner returns for his 20th season with the Wildcats. Since Skinner arrived in Lexington, Kentucky has dominated the Southeastern Conference. He's directed his team to seven consecutive SEC Championships and 19 consecutive NCAA appearances, including securing a National Championship in 2020. After the 2023 season, Skinner became the program’s all-time winningest coach with a record of 444-147.
Despite its record, Kentucky has played a difficult season, facing ranked opponents week after week. The Wildcats have faced No. 2 Nebraska, No. 7 Penn State, No. 7 Purdue, No. 4 Louisville and No. 2 Stanford before rolling onto the Plains.
Kentucky still has one of the strongest offenses in the country, especially at the service line. The Wildcats’ 2.02 aces per set is the third-best average in the conference, a mark that stands as No. 20 in the country.
All-American Brooklyn DeLeye is lethal for UK’s offense, leading the team in every offensive category. DeLeye also ranks top-50 in the country in kills per set (4.13), aces per set (.54) and attacks per set (10.95).
AUBURN-KENTUCKY SERIES
Kentucky owns a 49-10 record over Auburn in a series that dates back to 1977. However, the majority of the Tigers' success has come at home where the Orange and Blue are 7-12. Auburn's last victory against the Wildcats came in 2010 in a dramatic five-set victory on the Plains.