AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn volleyball hosts two ranked teams at Neville Arena this weekend, first welcoming No. 3 Kentucky (10-2, 2-0 SEC) to the Jungle. The Tigers and Wildcats are set for a 6 p.m. CT first serve on Friday, Oct. 2.
Auburn (11-2, 1-0 SEC) is coming off a reverse-sweep win at Arkansas to begin conference play. Belle Patrick drove the Auburn come-from-behind win with 29 kills, earning SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week for her performance.
Kentucky, third in the country, ranks the highest among all SEC teams and any team on the Tigers' schedule. The Wildcats already boast five ranked wins. Each of Kentucky's losses has come at the hands of ranked opponents.
ON THE AIR
- Friday's match will be streamed on SEC Network+. Graham Doty (PxP) and Paige Wetzel (analyst) will be on the call; first serve is set for 6 p.m. CT.
LAST TIME OUT
- Auburn clawed back from facing match point in set three to reverse-sweep Arkansas on the road to open up SEC play.
- Auburn led at the media timeout of every set, losing its lead in each of the first three sets. Auburn led 15-13 in set one, 18-12 in set two, and 21-16 in set three, losing all three of the leads. Auburn faced match point, 24-23, in set three but kept the match alive, winning the set 28-26.
- The Tigers' #1-#2 punch combo were the storylines of the match.
- Patrick led the Auburn comeback with 29 kills, her career-high and the second-most by an SEC player this season. Patrick's total was the second-best by an Auburn Tiger in the rally-scoring era (2001-present), and ninth most ever. Patrick also had nine digs, two aces, and a block. She was named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week for the performance.
- Lauren Dreves saw her first action since Sept. 3 at #5 Wisconsin, coming off the bench to start the second set at Arkansas. Dreves missed the prior seven matches with an illness. Dreves finished the match with eight kills on 31 attempts, 12 digs, and a block.
- Emily Keiran recorded a career-high 24 digs. Shanelle Puetz outright led Auburn in assists for the first time this season with 33.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
- The Wildcats are 10-2 entering Neville Arena with a 2-0 record in SEC play.
- Kentucky picked up its first signature win of the season, sweeping #6 Wisconsin in Milwaukee at the AVCA First Serve. The Wildcats took their first loss of the season a couple of days later to #4 Pittsburgh, 3-1.
- Kentucky rolled on with five-straight wins, including back-to-back wins over #13 Penn State, 3-1, and #18 North Carolina, 3-0.
- No. 8 SMU handed Kentucky its second loss of the year in the Bahamas, 3-1.
- Kentucky then began its current four-match win streak. The Wildcats defeated #3 Louisville, 3-1, then opened SEC play with a 3-1 win at Nashville and an emphatic sweep over #7 Texas on Sunday.
- Senior outside hitter Brooklyn DeLeye leads Kentucky with 4.29 kills per set, hitting .264 on the season. DeLeye is joined by Morgan Gaerte's 3.97 kills per set, hitting .315.
- Kassie O'Brien leads the nation with 12.07 assists per set. O'Brien has logged 30+ assists in 11 of 12 matches this season.
- The Wildcats rank second in DI with 14.68 kills per set and 13.83 assists per set. Additionally, Kentucky ranks 15th in hitting percentage (.282) and 40th in blocks per set (2.57).
SERIES HISTORY
- Kentucky leads the all-time series 51-11, including 23 of the past 24 matchups.
- Auburn's last win in the series was a 3-2 reverse-sweep win over the #12 Wildcats in 2024, the first win over Kentucky since 2010.
- The Tigers are 8-12 all-time at home against Kentucky.
- Kentucky won both matchups last season, one in Lexington and one at the SEC tournament in Savannah, Ga.
- The Wildcats won on their home court, 3-1, dropping the second set to Auburn. Lauren Dreves led the Auburn attack with 15 kills. Kate Mansfield got in on nine blocks, her career-high in an SEC match. For Kentucky, Brooklyn DeLeye logged 19 kills in the win, the most of any returning Wildcats.
- At the SEC tournament, Kentucky defeated Auburn in straight sets with DeLeye leading the way with 15 kills. Kassie O'Brien logged 42 assists in just three sets. The Wildcats were perfect on serve-receive, 52-for-52 as a team.
A HISTORIC STREAK IN THE MAKING
- Auburn returns home on an eight-match winning streak, the second-longest winning streak under Brent Crouch.
- The Tigers' eight-match winning streak is tied for the second-longest active winning streak in the SEC (Mississippi State - nine).
- 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
2026 - 8 matches
SEC CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
- Junior outside hitter Belle Patrick was named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 28.
- Patrick's 29 kills at Arkansas were a conference-high in the opening week of SEC play, the second-highest mark by an SEC player all season, and the ninth-best by any DI player in 2026.
- Her 29 kills were a career-high and the second most by an Auburn Tiger in the rally scoring era (2001-present); the ninth-most ever.
- Patrick also logged nine digs, two aces, a block, and a perfect 32-for-32 on serve-receive.
UP NEXT
- Auburn will make its first multi-city trip of the season next week. The Tigers head up to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 9, then head West to Columbia, Mo., playing Missouri at 2 p.m. On Sunday, Oct. 11.