KNOXVILLE, TENN. (EETV) – On Sunday, Tennessee shocked Auburn in a four set showdown, falling in favor of the Volunteers.
Tennessee’s program under Eve Rackham Watt only had two SEC wins, and they were hungry for more. Their record did not account for their accuracy and strength of schedule. They came into this match with the second highest hitting percentage in the Southeastern Conference.
The first set started out strong for Auburn and showcased both Kalei Edson and Peyton Dunn’s ability to hit their targets. The team’s first four points came off of kills from four different Tigers.
After an Auburn timeout and being down by two, Madison Scheer provided two quick kills to keep them in contention. Tennessee’s blockers were even quicker to respond, and a flip was switched.
Auburn had four different hitters pick up an attacking error in this set alone. The errors piled up, and although they tried to chip away at Tennessee's growing lead with an ace from Kalei Edson and a kill from Bel Zimmerman, it was not enough. Auburn ended the first set with as many kills as attacking errors: 12. The Tigers lost the first set 25-19.
Madison Scheer came into the second set with determination, using her kills to secure four of Auburn’s first five points in the set. Both teams went toe-to-toe throughout the set until Tennessee pulled away with help from their veterans.
After being denied by Auburn’s front row, Hayden Kubik had two consecutive kills to keep the game tied. Following an attacking error by Madison Scheer, Coach Brent Crouch called a timeout, but Tennessee was unphased. They returned with back-to-back kills from Nina Cajic.
Two attacking errors by the Tigers closed out the second set in the same fashion as the first, 25-19. Auburn was not able to keep up with the aggressive play of the Volunteers.
Getting the break the Tigers needed, Tennessee started the third set with two service errors. Bel Zimmerman led the way for the Tigers in the third set, providing just the spark they needed. Auburn went on a 7-0 run, four of those points coming off kills from Bel Zimmerman.
Tennessee called their second timeout of the set while down, 13-4. The Volunteers failed to go on a scoring run, and their errors on both the serving and hitting lines were increasing.
Lakin Laurendine made an appearance late in this set, and the momentum of her two kills was impactful. Auburn took the third set and appeared to be back on track, winning 25-15.
In the fourth set, Tennessee took the early lead, and Auburn’s hitters failed to find their way around the hands of Tennessee's blockers. Auburn was down by as much as eight.
Although the Volunteers were up, 22-14, Coach Rackham Watt called a timeout after her team struggled to communicate on serve receives. This worked in their favor, as Chelsea Mccurdy had a service error immediately.
The Tigers did show a late surge of energy, going on a 4-0 run and forcing a Tennessee timeout. Ultimately, it was the Volunteers who claimed the fourth set, 25-19.
The Tigers were outdone at the net, which is a rare occurrence as Auburn leads the Southeastern Conference in blocks per set. Auburn had six blocks in comparison to Tennessee's 13. The Tigers will look to clean up their play at the serving line as well, leaving this match with 15 service errors, five of which came in the third set.
After being on the road for their last three games, the Tigers are thrilled to be returning home for their next matchup. This will feature the LSU Tigers in Neville Arena on October 25. This game can be viewed on SEC Network at 6:30 p.m.
