AUBURN, Ala. – No rest for the weary as head coach Brent Crouch and Auburn Volleyball reset to host Jackson State on Friday, Sept. 5, at 5 p.m. CT inside Neville Arena.
Doors open at 4 p.m. CT and admission is free. For those unable to make it to Neville Arena, the match will be streamed live on SEC Network Plus. Graham Doty and Paige Wetzel will have the call.
IMPORTANT PARKING INFORMATION
Fans looking to attend Friday's match at Neville Arena are encouraged to park in the Neville Arena lot. Additional parking is available in the Campus Safety lot. Due to the football game, the Coliseum lot is unavailable on Friday.
QUICK HITS
Auburn put on a block party on Wednesday evening against Troy. With 14 total blocks, the Tigers set a new season-high and reached double digits for the second time in 2025. Entering Friday's bout with Jackson State, the Orange and Blue are averaging 3.15 blocks per set, the second-most in the Southeastern Conference.
Crouch's crew also held the Trojans to just .045 hitting throughout the three-set sweep. The mark was another season-best for Auburn. Last season, the Tigers were 12-1 when holding their opponents to a hitting percentage of .200 or less.
Sophomore middle blocker Kate Mansfield was the leader of the block party. The Plano, Texas native delivered a career-high nine rejections. Mansfield also found another gear offensively, delivering six kills on an efficient .556 hitting.
Fellow sophomore Lauren Dreves also found a career high five blocks on Wednesday. Dreves has now posted career bests in kills (18), hitting percentage (.567) and blocks (5) all this season.
The Vancouver, Washington product also logged her first double-double of the season, dialing up 11 kills and 12 digs. It was the second double-double for Auburn this season. Shanelle Puetz recorded 19 assists and 10 digs against Morehead State. Dreves has opened her 2025 campaign with four-straight matches reaching double digits in kills, the longest such streak of her young career.
Senior libero Alexis Dacosta continues to be the model of consistency in the back row. Dacosta tallied 12 digs against the Trojans and has reached double digits in each of the four matches to start the season. Her 4.85 digs per set leads the SEC entering Friday.
Auburn's notable improvement in back row defense last season has carried over into 2025. The Tigers are averaging 14.85 digs per set in the early parts of 2025, a mark that sits third in the SEC through four matches.
SCOUTING JACKSON STATE
Marcus Hereford is entering his second season as the head coach of the Jackson State volleyball program. He enters Friday's matchup with a 19-15 overall record. In his first season at the helm, the Tigers went 19-12, made it to the SWAC Championship match and earned a berth to the NIVC.
Jackson State was picked to finish second in the SWAC this season behind five preseason All-Conference selections. Headlining the returns is reigning setter of the year Karys Dove. Dove notched 705 assists while adding 210 digs, 38 aces, and 11 kills.
Dove's main offensive weapon is outside hitter Jayden James. James led the conference with 415 kills and 467 points in 2024, and added 290 digs, 38 blocks, 21 assists and an eye-catching 32 service aces.
AUBURN-JACKSON STATE SERIES
Auburn and Jackson State first met in late 1979. While JSU took the first matchup, 2-1, Auburn had to wait 42 years for a rematch. The Orange and Blue swept both meetings in 2021 and 2022.