'Soul crushing' blocks boost Auburn volleyball

Ranked No. 1 in the SEC and No. 2 in the nation with 3.34 blocks per set, Auburn's blockers are energizing Neville Arena while demoralizing opponents and helping the Tigers begin conference play with back-to-back sweeps.

by Jeff Shearer
'Soul crushing' blocks boost Auburn volleyball'Soul crushing' blocks boost Auburn volleyball

Kate Mansfield (No. 11) leads the SEC and ranks fifth in the country averaging 1.7 blocks per set

AUBURN, Ala. The psychological impact of a block might exceed the point it adds to the scoreboard.

“It’s a big momentum shifter,” said Auburn sophomore Kate Mansfield, the SEC’s block leader. “It gets the crowd going, it gets your entire team going. On the other side of that, it’s really demeaning. It’s soul crushing when you get blocked. The energy shift of volleyball is really important to our game. That’s what blocking does for us.”

Fellow sophomore middle blocker Grace Havlicek ranks No. 5 in the SEC in blocks.

“When you get blocked it makes you feel horrible,” Havlicek said. “When we get blocks and we set records, it motivates us to continue that and try to become the No. 1 team in the nation and stay at No. 1 in the SEC.”

Nothing energizes Neville Arena like a block party. Auburn ranks atop the SEC and No. 2 in the nation with 3.34 blocks per set.

“When we get a huge block, everybody’s on the floor screaming,” Havlicek said. “It fuels us to try to take down the other team. Blocking has played such a big part in our game this season so far.

After starting her college career at Cal, Mansfield found a fresh start on the Plains.

“I belonged in the South,” said Mansfield, a middle blocker in high school in Plano, Texas, who played on the right side as a freshman at Cal. “I’m really excited to be here. The entire team culture brings us together on the court. Auburn is my home and I’ve found that in more ways than one.

“Having a program that believes in me to be a middle blocker and do my job means a lot to me,” “Brent (Crouch) and the other coaches have done a great job getting me back into it.

“Brent had a great vision for this program, and I could see through meeting some of the girls that they had great hearts and great soul and were going to work hard. It’s all working out.”

Grace Havlicek ranks fifth in the SEC with 1.4 blocks per setGrace Havlicek ranks fifth in the SEC with 1.4 blocks per set

Havlicek, from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, has earned a bigger role in her second season, ranking No. 33 in the country with 1.4 blocks per set.

“I fell in love with it after my official visit,” Havlicek said. “I saw myself fitting in with this family immediately, the spirit of Auburn when everybody’s so into it. I love the South as well so being a state away is really nice.”

While Auburn’s blockers make it look easy, each denial requires attention to detail.

“Blocking comes with such a high standard,” Havlicek said. “You have to do all the footwork correctly, make sure your hands are pressed over and under a specific line. One movement can shift where the ball goes.”

Havlicek says she strives to be like her talented teammate, whose 1.7 blocks per set rank No. 5 in the country.

“The ball is magnetic to your hands,” Havlicek told Mansfield before a recent practice. “It finds you and it goes straight down because you’re always there.”

Mansfield returned the compliment as quickly as she rejects an opponent’s spike.

“My favorite thing about Grace is her intensity,” said Mansfield, noting Havlicek’s penchant for celebrating teammates’ accomplishments. “Having Grace on the team builds up the entire team and builds people’s confidence. When she turns to someone who’s struggling, they snap out of it and they listen to her. That’s something that’s overlooked in sports, but it really affects our team.

“Grace is also the hardest worker I know. This spring, I’ve never seen her so focused in getting where she is today. The records she’s broken already this season, it’s really speaking to that.”

Auburn’s blocking bunch has helped propel the Tigers (11-2, 2-0) to five consecutive wins, including back-to-back sweeps to start SEC play.

“We want to work hard and push each other,” Havlicek said. “We want to drive each other to be the best we can be. With that comes a lot of heart, passion and energy from our leaders.”

Blocking Besties: Kate Mansfield (left) and Grace HavlicekBlocking Besties: Kate Mansfield (left) and Grace Havlicek

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer