AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) -- After a dominant sweep against No. 9 Florida, Auburn volleyball looked to continue their momentum on Sunday against South Carolina. The Tiger's game in Columbia marked their second straight game on the road, yet the lack of home-court advantage caused no problems, as Auburn would win 3-2 in a dramatic five sets.
Madison Scheer led the way in this battle, as she had a team-high 19 kills, along with an assist, a dig, two blocks, and a .371 hitting percentage. The sophomore has been vital to Auburn's success this year and forms one-half of a dominant front-row unit alongside Akasha Anderson.
Speaking of Anderson, the sophomore trailed right behind Scheer, as she recorded 14 kills, an assist, six blocks, and 15 digs. Only Sarah Morton (18) recorded more digs than the 6'3" pin hitter.
The first set was a hard-fought battle, as neither team could obtain a lead of more than three points. After a service error from the Gamecocks gave Auburn their 24th point, the Tigers would take the first set with a kill by Akasha Anderson, her fifth of the game.
The second set was the opposite of the first, as it was full of big scoring runs. Auburn jumped to an early 11-5 lead, but the Gamecocks stormed back with a 16-5 run of their own, taking the lead 21-16. Auburn attempted to close this deficit, cutting the lead to one on multiple occasions, but South Carolina pulled out the victory, winning the second set 25-22.
In the third set, it was South Carolina who jumped out to the early 12-6 lead, and the Tigers were forced to play catch-up. Although the Tigers got the score within two points, they were hit with deja vu as the Gamecocks held on and won once again 25-22 after a service error from Auburn's Bel Zimmerman.
In the fourth set, although it remained close, Auburn never lost the lead. South Carolina was tied with Auburn at 23-23 in an intense, down-to-the-wire finish, but Auburn ran away with the set after a kill by Madison Scheer and an attack error from the Gamecock's Alayna Johnson. This kill by Scheer would be her 16th of the game, a team-high.
In the fifth set, Auburn took the lead and never looked back, winning the final set in a 15-13 nail-biter. The game-winning play would come from a kill by Madison Scheer off the 46th assist of the game from Jackie Barrett.
With the win, Auburn moves to an overall record of 14-3 as Brent Crouch continues his coaching masterclass this season. They look to obtain win #15 on the season Friday in Knoxville against the Tennessee Volunteers as the Tigers look to go undefeated on their SEC road trip. The game will be at 5:30 p.m. CT on SECN+.
