AUBURN, Ala.— Auburn volleyball opens Southeastern Conference play at Arkansas. The Tigers look to extend their winning streak to eight matches and pick up wins over the Razorbacks in back-to-back seasons for the first time under Head Coach Brent Crouch.
The conference opener is set for a 7 p.m. CT first serve at Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. The match can be streamed live on SEC Network+.
Auburn (10-2, 0-0 SEC) continued to win matches despite missing Lauren Dreves, the preseason All-SEC selection. Belle Patrick, Anastasija Ivkovic, and Greer Chambless have stepped up production from the pins, while Grace Havlicek and Kate Mansfield have both collected Auburn highs with the uptick in responsibility.
Arkansas (8-3, 0-0 SEC) is coming off a 3-0 loss to Illinois, dropping to 1-3 in matches against power-conference opposition. The Razorbacks were picked last of 16 teams in the preseason coaches’ poll.
A NEW BEGINNING
- Auburn enters Southeastern Conference play on a seven-match winning streak, opening the league schedule at Arkansas.
- Last season, Auburn finished 7-8 in SEC play, slotting in at eighth in the conference standings.
- The SEC boasts five nationally ranked teams entering conference play, with Kentucky (3), Texas (7), and Florida (8) all ranked in the top ten. Tennessee (13) and Texas A&M (16) round out the list of ranked teams. Vanderbilt is the first team left off the AVCA poll, receiving 74 votes.
ON THE AIR
- Friday's match will be streamed on SEC Network+. Shawn Murnin (PxP) and Caitlin (analyst) will be on the call. First serve is set for 7 p.m. CT.
LAST TIME OUT
- Auburn swept the Alabama Showdown, defeating UAB, Samford, and South Alabama, all by a score of 3-1.
- The Tigers saw production from all over the court. Ivkovic had her best week of the season, leading the team with 35 kills, hitting .360 with 10 blocks, the most by an Auburn pin. Ivkovic's 13 kills against UAB were a career high, matching her career-best .632 hitting efficiency.
- Havlicek led the Tigers with 1.50 blocks per set. Havlicek's .400 hitting percentage with 27 kills on 50 attempts was the best among qualified attackers. Havlicek set career-highs against both Samford and South Alabama with 10 kills against the Bulldogs, then 14 against the Jaguars, with seven blocks in both matches.
SCOUTING THE RAZORBACKS
- The Razorbacks enter the weekend 8-3 with a power-conference win at Syracuse, 3-1, on Sept. 9.
- Arkansas dropped matches to Rutgers and Maryland in Nashville, then most recently lost to Illinois in Jonesboro, Ark. The Razorbacks picked up one set win in their losses, coming against Maryland.
- The Razorbacks strong suit is its blocking, ranking 21st in the nation and second in the SEC with 2.77 blocks per set. Aleki Alexander and Layla Smith both fit into the top-100 in DI with 1.37 and 1.23 blocks per set, respectively.
- Parker Duncan ranks 17th in NCAA DI with 4.36 kills per set.
SERIES HISTORY
- The Razorbacks lead the all-time series 44-13 over Auburn.
- Arkansas has won 24 of 27 matches played in Fayetteville.
- The Tigers won the latest installment of the series, defeating Arkansas at Neville Arena last season, 3-1.
- Last season, Auburn dominated the opening set 25-13, before. Auburn won the second set 25-21, before Arkansas hit .515 in the third set, their only win of the match. Auburn hit .386 with 20 kills and just three errors in the fourth set to win the match.
- Bel Zimmerman led all players in the match with 15 kills. Greer Chambless led active Tigers with 14 kills, tied with current assistant coach Liz Markovska. Chambless, Mansfield, and Havlicek all recorded four or more blocks in last season's matchup.
A HISTORIC STREAK IN THE MAKING
- Auburn heads to Fayetteville on a seven-match winning streak, tied for the second-longest winning streak under Crouch.
- The Tigers' seven-match winning streak is tied for the second-longest active winning streak in the SEC (Mississippi State - eight).
- Longest winning streaks in Auburn volleyball history
2022 - 14 matches
2003 - 9 matches
1996 - 9 matches
1990 - 9 matches
2012 - 8 matches
1996 - 8 matches
1974 - 8 matches
UP NEXT
- Auburn Volleyball returns to Neville Arena, hosting a pair of ranked teams in No. 3 Kentucky and No. 13 Tennessee. The Tigers and Wildcats will face off at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 2 in Auburn. Tennessee will visit Neville Arena for a 2 p.m. CT first serve on Sunday, Oct. 4.
—War Eagle—