AUBURN, Ala. – Fresh off a dominant performance against in-state rival Alabama on Friday, Auburn (10-2, 1-0) will host Mississippi State (11-0, 1-0) on Sunday, Sept. 28 inside Neville Arena.
First serve is slated for 2 p.m. CT, and doors will open at 1 p.m. For those unable to make it to the Plains, the match will be streamed live on SEC Network Plus. Lyn Rollins and Paige Wetzel will have the call.
QUICK HITS
Auburn tallied 11.0 total blocks in three sets on Friday against Alabama. It marked the third straight match the Tigers reached double digits in blocks and the eighth time they've done so this season.
Head coach Brent Crouch's crew is now averaging 3.29 blocks per set entering Sunday's matchup with Mississippi State, the highest mark in the Southeastern Conference.
The Orange and Blue defense held the Crimson Tide to just .103 hitting during the three-set sweep. Auburn has held its opponents below .200 in 10 of the 12 matches this season, including four straight.
The Tigers are 9-1 this season when they hold their opponents south of .200.
Following yet another five-block effort on Friday, Kate Mansfield has now taken the top spot in the SEC in blocks per set at 1.70. Mansfield has recorded at least four blocks in four straight matches and 10 different times this season.
Fellow middle blocker Grace Havlicek has been equally impressive in Auburn's defensive efforts. The sophomore from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida has notched at least five blocks in three straight outings and has done so in nine separate matches this season. Her 1.40 blocks per set ranks fifth in the SEC ahead of Sunday.
Lauren Dreves' consistency in 2025 has been on full display. Dreves powered home a team-high 14 kills on Friday, hitting .244 with four digs and a block in the dominant win over Alabama. Dreves has now reached double digits in 11 of the 12 matches this season, including five straight.
Crouch is now 8-1 all-time against in-state rival Alabama.
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE
Head coach Julie Darty Dennis has her Mississippi State squad off to one of the best starts in program history. Following a 10-0 non-conference slate, the Bulldogs opened SEC play on Friday, knocking off No. 19 Florida in five sets in Gainesville.
Like Auburn, MSU hangs its hat on defense. Darty Dennis' squad ranks third in the SEC in opponent hitting percentage (.149) and fourth in blocks per set (2.49). Mississippi State's offense has been even more impressive, boasting a .307 hitting percentage, the second-highest in the conference entering Sunday.
Outside hitter Lindsey Mangelson has been the main weapon for the Bulldogs. The freshman from Fishers, Indiana is averaging a robust 4.71 kills per set, ranking second in the SEC. Her 5.49 points per set paces the conference and was the third-highest mark in the country before the weekend.
In the middle, both Gha'Naye Whitfield-Moss and Noelle Obi are rejecting attacks at a rate of 1.39 per set, good enough for the sixth and seventh-best marks in the SEC, respectively.
AUBURN-MISSISSIPPI STATE SERIES
Auburn owns a 42-26 record against Mississippi State in a series that dates back to 1978. The Tigers have defended their home court well in the matchup, boasting a 25-7 mark on the Plains. Crouch and Co. are 2-1 over the last three meetings in battles that included two five-set thrillers in 2022 and 2023.