AUBURN, Ala. – Wrapping up the second of a two-match road slate, Auburn (13-5, 4-3) heads north to No. 16 Tennessee (13-3, 4-2) for its latest SEC bout on Sunday, Oct. 19 inside the Food City Center.
First serve is set for 1 p.m. CT and the match will be streamed live on SEC Network Plus.
QUICK HITS
The Tigers' blocking effort continues to be one of the best in the country. Entering Wednesday's matchup, Auburn is averaging 3.12 blocks per set, the most in the conference and No. 2 in the country.
Sophomore middle blocker Kate Mansfield has been the main culprit of the Orange and Blue's success at the net. Her 1.71 blocks per set leads the SEC and is fifth in the country. Both Grace Havlicek and Bel Zimmerman are also averaging north of 1.00 blocks per set. Havlicek is ninth in the conference at 1.21, while Zimmerman is at a career-best 1.06. After nine blocks at Kentucky, Mansfield has recorded at least five blocks in 10 straight contests.
Senior libero Alexis Dacosta has been lights out over the past couple of matches. The Katy, Texas product tied her career high with 25 digs in Auburn's win against Vanderbilt, including 16 in the fourth set alone. It was the second time this season Dacosta has registered at least 13 digs in a single set. On Sunday, Dacosta followed up with 24 digs on Sunday against No. 25 Missouri. For the week, she averaged an SEC-leading 6.13 digs per set. With another 16 digs at Kentucky, Dacosta eclipsed 1,000 for her career.
Consistent as ever, outside hitter Lauren Dreves is coming off one of her best matches in her young career. In four sets against No. 25 Missouri, Dreves went for a career-high 20 kills on .250 hitting. She also added 10 digs for her fourth double-double of the season. Dreves has reached double digits in kills in all but two matches this season.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE
Eighth-year head coach Eve Rackham has her Tennessee squad off to a 13-3 record this season with a 4-2 mark in SEC play. The Lady Vols boast sweeps against Georgia, South Carolina and Ole Miss, and have dropped heartbreaking five-setters to both Texas and Florida.
The top option for setter Caroline Kerr has been Nebraska transfer Hayden Kubik. The Iowa native is averaging a team-high 4.04 kills per set and 4.53 points per set.
Kerr, the third-year setter, is directing the best offense in the SEC as the Lady Vols are hitting .316 on the season and the third-best mark in the conference in SEC play at .283.
Defensively, Tennessee has leaned on Chelsea Sutton and Zoe Humphrey. The duo in the middle are both averaging north of 1.00 blocks per set at 1.26 and 1.08, respectively.
AUBURN-TENNESSEE SERIES
Auburn brings a 20-38-1 record against Tennessee into Sunday's matchup in a series that dates back to 1974. Coach Crouch and Co. last defeated the Lady Vols on the Plains in 2022 and the Tigers' last victory in Knoxville came in a five-set affair in 2017.