AUSTIN, Texas — Auburn volleyball fell at No. 12 Texas in straight sets, dropping a pair of tight sets to start the match. The Tigers (11-7, 1-5 SEC) battled hard through the opening set and led early in sets two and three, but ultimately lost to the Longhorns (9-6, 5-2 SEC) 25-22, 25-22, 25-18.
Auburn and Texas held tight through 11 points, until Texas rode a 5-1 streak to a 15-12 lead at the media timeout. Auburn closed the lead to one at 21-20, but the Longhorns closed the set on a 4-2 run to win the set 25-22. Texas earned 24 of their 25 points in the set, including 23 kills. The Longhorns hit .340 in the set, just ahead of the Tigers' .300 efficiency in the same set.
Auburn took a large lead early in the second set with a 7-1 run, forcing a Texas timeout. The Longhorns chipped away at the lead, using an 8-2 run to take the lead at 16-15. Texas continued its momentum, growing its lead to four at 21-17. Auburn attempted to come back late, cutting the lead down to two, but Texas ultimately won the set, 25-22.
The Tigers took another early lead, up 10-5 after a Grace Havlicek ace. Texas came back once again, using a 10-2 streak to lead 16-13. Another four-point run put the Longhorns in striking distance of the match. Texas closed the set on a 5-1 run, winning 25-18. Torrey Stafford logged 10 kills in the final set, hitting .333.
TIGER STANDOUTS
- Lauren Dreves led the Tigers with nine kills, hitting .269 on 26 attempts.
- Belle Patrick had three aces.
- Shanelle Puetz's 14 assists were the most by a Tiger.
- Emily Keiran had a team-high 11 digs.
HEAD COACH BRENT CROUCH
- "It's good to see such an effort against such a strong program like Texas. We didn't have enough opportunities, which is a credit to Texas, but I liked what we did do with the chances we had."
UP NEXT
- Auburn finishes the Texas road trip at No. 19 Texas A&M on Sunday, Oct. 18 at noon CT.
—War Eagle—