Tigers unable to find a rhythm at No. 22 Florida

Tigers unable to find a rhythm at No. 22 FloridaTigers unable to find a rhythm at No. 22 Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Madison Scheer tallied a team-high nine kills hitting a stout .320. However, Auburn (14-9, 4-8) couldn’t quite keep pace with No. 22 Florida (17-5, 8-3) as the Tigers dropped the roast test inside Exactech Arena, 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-19).

Scheer picked up where she left off the last time she was in the Sunshine State. The junior threw down four kills on her first six swings to come out firing early. 

Early, the Tigers were passing relatively well but unforced errors gave the Gators breathing room. Ultimately, the Florida offense hit at a high enough clip to take the opening frame and kick off the match with the early lead. 

Scheer and company kept swinging in the second set. The Missouri native added three more kills to her total. By the time set No. 2 ended, she owned seven kills on a robust .333 hitting percentage. Scheer would finish with a team-high nine kills on .320 hitting for the evening, adding a career-high two aces. 

More block touches from the likes of Chelsey McCurdy, Emma Moore and the rest of the front allowed Auburn’s back row to start making plays as well. Junior libero Alexis Dacosta was up to a team-high five digs after the second set. Both Peyton Dunn and Lakin Laurendine ran down four apiece. 

Still, the Gators managed to find the right buttons to press late in the set, crawling away and leaving the Tigers a tough task to forge a comeback. 

The Orange and Blue blocks started the third set on the right foot. Two rejections, Auburn’s first of the match, had the Tigers keeping pace with the Gators.

A long run from Florida put Auburn in a hole once again in the third set. Brent Crouch’s crew wasn’t about to go away that easily, though. A 4-0 run that included some terrific serving from Scheer brought Auburn back within five, 20-15. 

Strong serving was a bright spot for the Tigers in the third set. In fact, three of Auburn’s four aces came in the final frame. Scheer snagged two while freshman Kalei Edson picked up one of her own. 

In the end, the hole was just too deep for the Orange and Blue to climb out of as the Tigers dropped the match, 3-0. 

MATCH NOTES


-    Madison Scheer’s two aces were a career-high
-    Scheer hit north of .300 (.320) for the ninth time this season