AUBURN, Ala. – Hitting the road for the first time this season, Auburn volleyball (0-2, 0-2 SEC) travels to Columbia, SC, to face the Gamecocks (1-1, 1-1 SEC) Wednesday and Thursday in Carolina Volleyball Center for the first of two autumn road trips to the Tigers.
“Traveling to South Carolina will be a challenge,” said the head coach Brent Crouch. “They are a good team that has tournament aspirations. They are physical. I expect something similar to the Florida game in terms of competitiveness. all aspects of the game, so I hope to score more points in each set. “
The series begins Wednesday night with a first CT service at 7 pm on the SEC Network. It will be a short turnaround in Columbia, as Auburn returns to court on Thursday afternoon at 3:30 pm CT. The first service will be on the SEC + Network.
QUICK HITS
- Auburn returns to action on Wednesday and Thursday in South Carolina, seeking Auburn’s first victory for the first year of the head coach Brent Crouch and Auburn’s first victory over South Carolina since 2017.
- Senior Lauren Dorrell posted a career night off the bench against # 4 Florida, setting career records in deaths (6), attacks (15), hit percentage (.133), digs (6), blocks (2) and points (7, 0).
- Taking the setter halfway against the Gators, Bella Rosenthall established a career high with 10 assists. It was the first time she played in that position since high school.
- As a squad, the Tigers averaged 13.33 digs per set, ranking eighth in the Southeast Conference.
SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina enters the midweek series with an overall record of 1-1, after splitting two consecutive matches in Georgia to open the 2020 season.
Gamecocks lead the nation with an average of 4.00 blocks per set as a team. Freshman Ellie Ruprich leads the country with an average of 2.71 blocks per game and ranks third overall in the SEC, with 19 blocks in total.
Graduate student Kyla Manning leads the attack with 24 deaths and occupies eighth position at the conference with 3.43 deaths per set. She is also eighth in the SEC in aces per set (0.43).
Graduating student Mallory Dixon follows the attack with 44 assists to guide the team to a hitting percentage of 0.302, the third highest in the SEC. Five Gamecocks have already recorded double-digit digs this season, led by Dixon (16).
NEXT
Auburn closes his road swing with consecutive fights against defending Co-SEC champion No. 3 Kentucky in Lexington. Auburn opens the series in Kentucky on Saturday, November 7 at 3 pm CT on SEC Network +. The series ends on Sunday, November 8 at 3 pm CT on the SEC Network.