Auburn Volleyball welcomes rival Alabama to Neville – Auburn Tigers

AUBURN, Ala. – After one of the most monumental victories in program history, Auburn (11-1, 1-0) quickly turns around and welcomes in-state rival Alabama (8-4, 0-1) to the Plains on Sunday afternoon.

First serve is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. CT. The doors open one hour before and entry is free. For those unable to make it to Neville Arena, the game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network. Kevin Fitzgerald and Madison Fitzpatrick will answer the call.

QUICK CONCLUSIONS
Auburn's reverse win over Kentucky was its first win over the Wildcats since 2010, also a five-set thriller on the Plains.

The top-15 win over Kentucky was the Tigers' second-best win of 2024. Auburn now has nine top-25 wins in program history, four of them in the Brent Crouch era (2020-Pres.).

Crouch's team collected 15 blocks in the win over No. 12 Kentucky. It was the second-most blocks in a single game for the Tigers this season.

Auburn's average of 2.99 blocks per set leads the SEC and is ranked 8th nationally.

Paired with 18.02 digs per set, which ranks second in all of Division I volleyball, the orange and blue defense holds opponents to a .150 hitting percentage. The mark leads the Southeastern Conference and is good for 16th place in the country.

Grace Havlicek stepped in for one of the SEC's best blockers and stepped up for Crouch and the Tigers. In three games, the Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. product averaged 1.8 blocks per set, including 10 rejections in Auburn's five-set win over No. 12 Kentucky.

Speaking of middle blockers, between Havlicek and Chelsey McCurdy, the duo combined for 17 kills on Friday night with an incredible .555 batting average between the two. Havlicek was near perfect, posting a career-best six kills on nine swings without a mistake.

Kentucky transfer Bella Bell was nothing short of productive against her former team. The converted right guard had 12 kills with a season-high .435 batting average and four blocks.

Auburn's passing stats took a significant jump in 2024. Between Lauren Dreves and Alexis Dacosta, Auburn allows just 0.90 aces per set, fourth in the SEC.

LAST TIME
Behind a stellar offense and strong defense, Auburn pulled off a historic setback against Kentucky and its first win over the Wildcats since 2010. Madison Scheer posted a team-high 17 kills, while both Bella Bell (12 kills) and Chelsey McCurdy (11 kills) reached double digits. Defensively, freshman Grace Havlicek led the way with a game-high 10 blocks, followed closely by Scheer (6), McCurdy (5), Bel Zimmerman (4) and Bella Bell (4).

SCOUTING ALABAMA
Third-year head coach Rashinda Reed brings an Alabama team to Neville Arena with an 8-4 record. The Crimson Tide went 8-3 in non-conference play and began their SEC schedule with a narrow five-set loss on the road to No. 20 Tennessee.

Reed's team was an improved serving unit early in the season. With 1.74 aces per set, Alabama ranks sixth in the SEC. Callie Keiffer leads with 14 total aces and 0.33 aces per set. The Tide has three other players with double-digit aces this season.

Offensively, Alabama relies on junior outside hitter Sophie Agee. The Houston, Texas native averages over 4.00 points per set. His wingmate Paris Thompson was also an effective attacking option. The Notre Dame transfer scored 3.27 points per set at the start of 2024.

AUBURN-ALABAMA SERIES
Alabama holds a record of 49-39 in a series that dates back to 1974. The Tigers have an 18-19 record against the Tide in games on the Plains. However, Auburn has won each of its last seven games against its rivals.