AUBURN, Ala. – Head coach Brent Crouch and the Auburn Tigers (6-2, 0-0) head north to Birmingham for the third edition of the Alabama Showdown, Sept. 18-20, at the Pete Hanna Center.
The Tigers will face UAB (6-3, 0-0) on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 3:30 p.m. CT, the host Samford ( 4-4, 0-0) on Friday, Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m. CT and South Alabama (4-4, 0-0) on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 3:30 p.m. CT.
Auburn has earned the Championship Belt each of the last three years in this tournament.
QUICK HITS
The Orange and Blue front row has been simply dynamic through the first eight matches of the season. At 3.10 blocks per set, the Tigers are ranked second in the Southeastern Conference and No. 4 in the country.
Middle blocker Kate Mansfield has been responsible for the majority of Auburn’s rejections. The Cal transfer enters the Alabama Showdown averaging 1.58 blocks per set, the second-highest mark in the SEC and No. 10 in the nation.
Not to be left out, fellow middle Grace Havlicek is blocking at a robust 1.35 per set, putting the sophomore at No. 7 in the conference.
No one in the back row has been better than senior libero Alexis Dacosta. The Katy, Texas native leads the SEC in digs per set at 4.62. Dacosta set a career high on Sunday, tracking down 25 digs against Florida State.
Liz Markovska has begun to find her rhythm on the outside. Markovska has reached double digits in kills in each of the last four matches and notched her first double-double of the season on Sunday in Tallahassee with 14 kills and 10 digs.
Fellow outside Lauren Dreves remains a potent weapon for Crouch and the Tigers. Entering this weekend’s tournament, Dreves is averaging single-season career highs in kills per set (3.85), hitting percentage (.294), blocks per set (0.58) and points per set (4.23).
SCOUTING UAB
Head coach Betsy Freeburg enters her sixth season as head coach of UAB, boasting a 53-83 record. This season, the Blazers come into the Alabama Showdown with a 6-3 record.
Junior outside hitter Jorda Crook remains the main offensive weapon for Freeburg and Co. Crook is averaging 3.82 kills per set and a remarkable 4.60 points per set.
Defensively, freshman middle blocker Addyson Smock has piled up 28 total blocks at a rate of 1.12 per set to lead her team. Meanwhile, Delaney Bowser's 2.66 digs per set marks the highest average for the Blazers. Bowser also paces her squad in aces with 16.
AUBURN-UAB SERIES
Auburn enters the Alabama Showdown with a 27-8 record over UAB, with a 2-0 mark at neutral sites. The Tigers have won each of the last 14 meetings dating back to 1993.
SCOUTING SAMFORD
Friday will mark the third SEC opponent for head coach Keylor Chan and the Samford Bulldogs this season. Samford has already dropped matches to both Georgia and Tennessee.
Outside hitters Kaleigh Merritt and Ally Cordes have been responsible for most of the damage for the Bulldogs. Merritt enters Friday averaging the second-most kills per set in the SoCon with an even 4.00. Cordes isn't too far behind at 3.50. Cordes has also proven to be a weapon at the service line, leading Samford with 14 aces.
Merritt is also pacing the Bulldogs in digs per set at 2.50. Cordes owns the most blocks on the squad with 13.
AUBURN-SAMFORD SERIES
Auburn owns a 6-1 record over Samford in a series that dates back to 1990. The Tigers have won each of the last three meetings in four-set affairs, including the last two bouts in the Alabama Showdown. Friday's matchup will be just the second battle at Samford and the first in the rally scoring era.
SCOUTING SOUTH ALABAMA
Head coach Jesse Ortiz and South Alabama enter the Alabama Showdown with a 4-4 record this season. Like Samford, Auburn will represent the third SEC opponent for the Jaguars. USA has already faced both LSU and Mississippi State, falling to both opponents.
Junior outside hitter Sarah Gooch is the main offensive weapon for South Alabama. The Apopka, Florida native is averaging 3.38 kills per set.
Defensively, libero Briana Wilson has tracked down a variety of digs to start the season. At 4.31 digs per set, Wilson sits fourth in the Sun Belt and No. 66 in the country. In the front row, it's been middle blocker Alexa Strandberg supplying the rejections. Her 1.14 blocks per set lead the Jaguars.
AUBURN-SOUTH ALABAMA SERIES
Auburn and South Alabama have been going toe-to-toe since 1975. The Tigers own a 22-8 record over the Jaguars and have won nine straight.