AUBURN, Ala. – Midweek volleyball hits Neville Arena as Auburn hosts Virginia for the inaugural Challenge at the Net on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Fifteen additional matches between the SEC and ACC will play out across Tuesday and Wednesday. A conference will need nine victories to claim the overall crown in 2025.
Doors open at 4:30 p.m. CT and admission is free. For those unable to make the trip to the Plains, the match will be streamed live on SEC Network Plus. JJ Jackson and Kaylah House will have the call.
QUICK HITS
Sophomore middle blocker Grace Havlicek produced a career-best five aces in the Tigers' win over Jackson State on Friday. It was the most aces in a single match since Jackie Barrett recorded five against South Alabama in 2023.
Auburn's 10 team aces were also the most since head coach Brent Crouch's team notched an even 10 against South Alabama in 2023.
Cal transfer Kate Mansfield stacked up a career-high nine blocks in the Tigers' win over Troy and added another five when Auburn toppled Jackson State. Her 14 blocks were the sixth-most across the Southeastern Conference. Her nine blocks also tied for the most in a single match in the SEC so far this season.
At 2.33 blocks per set, Mansfield averaged the most blocks per set in the SEC last week and the third-most in the country. Her 1.69 blocks per set are the third-most in the conference through five matches and No. 9 in the country.
As a team, the Tigers held their opponents to just .092 hitting last week, the third-best average in the conference and No. 13 in the nation.
The Orange and Blue block has been rounding into shape over the last couple of matches. Auburn notched a season-high 14 blocks against Troy and added 10 versus Jackson State. The Tigers have now recorded a double-digit blocking effort in three matches this season. At 4.00 blocks per set last week, there was no better team in the SEC and Auburn ranked No. 2 in the country.
Through five matches, the Tigers are averaging a robust 3.19 blocks per set. The mark sits second in the Southeastern Conference and No. 5 in the nation.
Sophomore outside hitter Lauren Dreves continues to excel during her 2025 campaign. Her 4.38 kills per set are the sixth-most in the SEC.
Alexis Dacosta's 4.38 digs per set rank as the second-most in the conference.
SCOUTING VIRGINIA
Shannon Wells begins her fifth season as the head coach of the Virginia Volleyball program. Wells and the Cavaliers arrive on the Plains with a 4-1 record, dropping their first match of the season on Sunday in five sets against Appalachian State.
Much like the Tigers, Wells has made blocking a priority for her team in 2025. Virginia enters Tuesday's matchup averaging 2.53 blocks per set, the sixth-highest mark in the ACC. The front line has been led by Jasmine Robinson. Robinson paces the Cavaliers with 1.05 per set.
Offensively, Virginia is led by senior outside hitter Kadynce Boothe. The Tennessee transfer comes into the matchup averaging a team-high 2.53 kills per set. However, sophomore Becca Wight isn't far behind at 2.47.
Setter Zoey Dodd has been responsible for most of the damage from the service line. Dodd has compiled nine aces in the early parts of 2025 and Virginia's 2.00 aces per set rank as the fifth-best in the ACC and No. 38 in the nation.
AUBURN-VIRGINIA SERIES
Auburn owns a 3-1 all-time record against Virginia in a series that dates back to 1987. The series' only match on the Plains was claimed by the Tigers in dramatic three-set fashion in 1987. However, the two schools have not met in the rally-scoring era.