Alabama Falls to Auburn Sunday on the road in four sets

AUBURN, Ala. – Alabama suffered a hard-fought four-set loss to conference rival Auburn on Sunday afternoon by scores of 19-25, 25-15, 27-29 and 22-25.

Alabama (8-5, 0-2 SEC) scored the first point of the first set, but Auburn (12-1, 2-0 SEC) responded quickly with four unanswered points and stayed ahead for the rest of the frame, eventually winning by 25 -19 . The Crimson Tide got off to a hot start in the second set, leading 5-1 before the Tigers had to call an early timeout and 11-4 when they called their second timeout. Alabama took a double-digit lead, 15-5, and would win by the same margin, 25-15, which would have tied the game at 1-1.

Set three was a back and forth affair, with a tiger kill from Lakin Laurendine leveling the score at 16-16 for the ninth time. Each team called a timeout before the score was leveled again at 19:19. Alabama reached set point twice, 24-22 and 25-24, but couldn't beat Auburn, and the Tigers took advantage and fought to win the set, 29-27, for a 2-1 lead. Auburn scored three straight goals early in the fourth period and stayed on top until a late Tide push after a Tide kill made it 22-22 Chaise Campbell. Auburn then finished the game with three straight points and won the fourth set 25-22.

NOTES

• Callie Kieffer posted her second straight double-double with 19 assists and a career-best 14 digs
• Sophie Agee led the team with 19 kills, giving her more than 10 kills in 11 of the 13 Tide matches
• Paris Thompson posted a season-best 16 kills
• Kaleigh Palmer After suffering a preseason injury, she made her first start of the season for the Crimson Tide after starting 22 games as a freshman last season

STAT LEADER

SET BY SET

• Set 1: Auburn 25, Alabama 19
• Set 2: Alabama 25, Auburn 15
• Set 3: Auburn 29, Alabama 27
• Set 4: Auburn 25, Alabama 22

NEXT: VS. GEORGIA

• Sunday, October 6th – Tuscaloosa, Alabama – 2:00 p.m. CT – SEC Network