BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (EETV) – After a disappointing trip to Minneapolis and a loss vs 19th ranked Minnesota, Auburn (8-1) started off their first of three matches in the Alabama Showdown with a solid win in four sets against Samford in Birmingham.
The Tigers took the lead early with kills by graduate student Bella Bell and freshman Emma Moore. They never trailed in set one, pulling away from the Bulldogs after going up 16-13 after a Samford attacking error by Greer Golden. Auburn took advantage of the mistake, winning five of the next seven points to help close out a 25-18 set one victory.
Set two was the exact opposite of the first, with Samford taking the lead early and never looking back. Samford’s offense found ways through Auburn’s tough defense, taking the second set to tie the match at one each, 18-25.
The Tigers were not phased by the set loss, finding holes in the Bulldogs defense while keeping their attacks at bay. Kills, blocks and aces by Chelsey McCurdy and Kalei Edson led the way for Auburn as they took their advantage back by winning the third set, 25-19. Lauren Dreves had four kills for the Tigers, scoring the final point to close the set for Auburn.
Attacking errors were a key piece in set four as after going back and forth for the first 10 points, the breaks fell off for Samford. The Tiger defense forced mistake after mistake from the Bulldogs, allowing Auburn to take full control and play their game. Madison Scheer went on a 3-0 run by herself, leading the team with six kills in the final set. Auburn closed out Samford quickly, earning the 3-1 match win, 25-17.
Lauren Dreves continues her incredible freshman campaign with another double-double for Auburn, her third so far. She posted 15 kills on .371% hitting and added 16 more digs for a team-leading 124 this season. Madison Scheer was right behind her with 13 kills of her own on .225% hitting. Scheer continues to lead Auburn this season in that department, tallying 104 for the year. Peyton Dunn added 25 assists, bringing her total to 174 this year, while also providing two kills herself on three attempts. These three won the day for Auburn, along with solid supporting performances by Kalei Edson and the Baylor transfer Alexis Dacosta.
Coach Brent Crouch was happy with the way Auburn fought after the 2nd set loss, saying “Even though I was disappointed in how that second set went, I’m incredibly encouraged in how the team responded to that challenge and I think that’s a very good sign moving forward.” Auburn keeps pushing to get back into the top 25 with SEC play starting up next Friday.
Auburn Women’s Volleyball continues their season Friday at 7 p.m. against UAB and Saturday at 2 p.m. vs South Alabama as part of the Alabama Showdown in Birmingham. The game against UAB will be streamed live on ESPN+.
