AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - It was a historic matchup inside Neville Arena, as the No. 24 Auburn Tigers hosted the No. 3 Florida Gators, to open up Southeastern Conference play. The "Jungle Appreciation" game served as the first ranked match-up in Auburn Volleyball history.
“The fans absolutely delivered tonight! The energy was electric and it felt like the community had our back" said grad transfer Kyla Swanson. "I’m so proud of our team and gained confidence that we can get a lot of conference wins this season, War Eagle!”
The Tigers ultimately fell to the Gators in a thrilling five-set match (20-25, 26-24, 24-26, 25-19, 17-15) 3-2. Auburn’s Akasha Anderson led all players with 18 kills and 21.5 points in the game.
A tightly contested matchup to begin the series as both teams exchanged back-and-forth points. The Tigers took advantage of the energetic crowd early by claiming the first set.
Auburn looked strong throughout the second set, taking a 21-15 lead. On the verge of closing out the set, a controversial call shifted all momentum to the Gators.
It was the Madison Scheer show in the third as the sophomore pin hitter claimed seven of her 15 kills in this set alone. After regaining control of the series, Neville Arena continued to uphold its reputation as one of the best atmospheres in all of college sports.
The Florida Gators did not lay down as they claimed the fourth set with the largest winning margin of the night. This result led to a highly anticipated winner-taking-all, fifth set.
Suspense was an understatement to describe the final set. Both Auburn and Florida dueled it out, coming to a 15-15 tie. Florida ultimately secured the set 17-15, claiming the series victory.
Auburn finished the game with a total 57 kills and a .196 hitting percentage. Senior Jackie Barrett led the Tigers with 40 assists on the night. Despite the outcome, the morale and energy are still very high within the Tigers’ locker room.
The Auburn Tigers will host the Ole Miss Rebels at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24 inside Neville Arena.
