AUBURN, Ala. – Head coach Brent Crouch and the Auburn Tigers (14-3, 4-2) wrap up their three-match road trip in Knoxville, facing a stern test at Tennessee (9-7, 2-4) on Sunday, Oct. 20.
First serve is set for 1 p.m. CT and the match will be streamed live on SEC Network Plus.
QUICK HITS
Auburn’s offense continues its steady climb up the national rankings. Crouch’s Tigers rank within the top 50 in assists per set (12.49) and kills per set (13.43). Both marks are significantly higher than last season. If the season ended today, Auburn's .241 hitting percentage would tie for the program's highest in the rally scoring era.
Amidst its 2024 campaign, the Orange and Blue remain a defensive powerhouse on a regional and national scale. In the SEC, Auburn sets the pace for opponent hitting percentage (.168) and is second in digs (17.17). Meanwhile, the Tigers’ numbers translate to No. 35 for opponent hitting and No. 14 in digs in Division I volleyball.
Setters Peyton Dunn and Kalei Edson have tag-teamed the direction of Auburn's prolific offense. With distribution as the ultimate priority, the Orange and Blue boast four hitters averaging north of 2.00 kills per set. Madison Scheer (3.59), Bel Zimmerman (2.81), Bella Bell (2.67) and Lauren Dreves (2.26) are all average career bests in the category.
Auburn’s blocking unit sustains its No. 1 spot in the conference after adding another solid week of volleyball to the stat sheet. The Tigers’ 2.77 blocks per set is a mark that stands at 15th nationally.
Graduate Bella Bell had a standout night against in-state rival Alabama, securing a career-best 22 kills and hitting .465 on Wednesday night. Bell has swung for north of .400 on five different occasions in 2024, including three out of the last four matches.
Junior Alexis Dacosta added another impressive performance to her resume after replacing her previous career-best of 21 with 24 digs against the Crimson Tide. Dacosta’s 3.86 digs per set ranks sixth in the Southeastern Conference. The Katy, Texas product has reached double-digit dig totals in 13 matches this season, including three performances with 20 or more digs.
LAST TIME OUT
Graduate Bella launched a career-high 22 kills on a monstrous .465 hitting percentage while setter Peyton Dunn recorded her team-leading sixth double-double of the season. In the end, it wasn't enough, though, to overcome Alabama in Auburn's first five-set loss of the season.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE
Head coach Eve Rackham and the Tennessee Volunteers enter Sunday's matchup with a 9-7 overall record with just a 2-4 mark in SEC play. However, Tennessee has faced one of the toughest slates of any program in 2024, taking on No. 7 Penn State, No. 6 Louisville, No. 25 UCLA and No. 15 Kentucky.
With the help of Towson transfer Nina Cajic, Tennessee has become one of the best hitting teams in all of Division I Volleyball. At a .293 hitting percentage, the Vols rank third in the SEC and No. 11 in the country. Cajic, the outside hitter from Serbia, leads her squad in kills per set (4.48), points per set (5.07) and aces per set (0.43).
Setter Caroline Kerr has been busy propping up Cajic and the rest of the Tennessee attackers. Her 10.54 assists per set rank fourth in the SEC and No. 20 in the nation.
Rookie Paityn Chapman has also impressed supporters in Knoxville this season. The Castle Rock, Colorado product is averaging 2.21 kills per set on a solid .271 hitting percentage to go along with 38 total blocks.
AUBURN-TENNESSEE SERIES
Auburn rolls into Knoxville with a 20-37-1 record in a matchup that began in 1974. Like most things in the Brent Crouch era, the Tigers' most recent success versus the Volunteers has come in the last four years. The two programs have traded four-set home wins over the last two matchups.