BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (EETV) – On Friday night, Auburn Volleyball faced off against the UAB Blazers at Bartow Arena in their second match of the Alabama Showdown. The Tigers recently defeated Samford University on Thursday and they looked to improve to 2-0 before they take on South Alabama.
To begin the first set, the Tiger offense began to connect as front row attackers capitalized on UAB’s defensive miscues. Auburn middle blocker Emma Moore was removed early on in the match after landing awkwardly from a blocking attempt which resulted in an injury. The Auburn defense held a strong presence at the net, as Bel Zimmerman and Grace Havlicek had timely blocks for the Tigers. Auburn’s Madison Scheer finished the set with seven kills and Lauren Dreves add five kills to push the Tigers to win their first set 25-22.
During the second set, the Auburn momentum built as both the offense and defense were making timely plays, but UAB’s Madison Page completed the block to stop Auburn’s scoring rally. The Blazer defense did not seem to stop the Tigers, however, as Auburn went on a 6-1 scoring run, courtesy of Auburn's front row attackers. Auburn’s Bel Zimmerman made her presence known at the net, as she added on three of her own kills to bolster the Tiger offense. The Tigers win set two with a score of 25-16.
Going into the third set, the Tigers had their sights set on sweeping the Blazers. The Auburn defense was averaging three blocks per set which kept UAB on their toes offensively. The Tigers and Blazers traded points back and forth before Auburn’s Madison Scheer completed a big block to maintain Auburn’s defensive presence and slow the UAB offense. The momentum began to shift towards the Tigers as Bel Zimmerman totaled six blocks and Grace Havlicek led Auburn with eight blocks. Auburn slowly pulled away from UAB towards the end of the third set. Auburn’s Lauren Dreves was back to serve at match point and Madison Scheer ended the match for the Tigers with a kill. Auburn won the third set with a score of 25-17, resulting in a Tiger sweep.
Auburn Head Coach Brent Crouch expressed excitement for the Tigers as they stay undefeated in the Alabama Showdown heading into their final day of play on Saturday. Auburn sweeps UAB in three straight sets to improve to 9-1 before facing South Alabama in their final match of the Alabama Showdown in Birmingham.
