Feb. 17, 2017
By Jeff Shearer
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. - Auburn senior MJ Rott knows what trips to Tuscaloosa entail, especially for gymnasts wearing orange and blue.
"It's not just another meet," Rott said. "This is a big one."
Auburn, ranked No. 17, visits No. 6 Alabama Friday at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network.
"It is a hard meet, but it is a fun meet, because there are so many people who want you out of their arena," Rott said. "It's a fun experience altogether."
Last year, the Tigers defeated their in-state rival at Auburn Arena. This season, Alabama beat Auburn at a neutral site, the Elevate meet in Birmingham. The Tigers are trying to earn their first win in Tuscaloosa.
"It is Alabama. There is that rivalry there," Rott said. "And there is this drive to beat Alabama in their own place, which would be nice."
Auburn coach Jeff Graba relishes the opportunity to accomplish something that hasn't been done.
"I love competing at Alabama," Graba said. "It's a love-hate thing. The girls love it because it's a good environment to be a part of. Very seldom do you get to go places where people are either fully for you, or fully against you. They've got to use that energy.
"I think all of our freshman will be challenged this week," Graba said. "It's a tough place. One of the best teams in the country and I think one of the biggest home-field advantages in the country. We're going to ask a lot out of our group."
Only once this year, in the season opener, has Auburn competed against a team that wasn't ranked in the top 10.
"We've got the youngest team in the top 25 with the hardest schedule in the top 25," Graba said.
While the results have not been what Auburn's gymnasts would have liked, Graba, penciling in four or five new names in each event's lineup, sees progress.
"We're learning on the job a little bit, and I'm getting to learn the team a little bit more," he said. "I think each week we've gotten better. I'm just a little frustrated that we haven't broken through at this point.
"The biggest problem we have right now is mental toughness. When you're ahead of an opponent, how do you close them out? And a young team typically has trouble doing that."
"Sooner or later, we're going to have to get it figured out," Rott said. "It can't be the last meet of the season. We need to figure it out sooner rather than later, because we're trying to make it to nationals again."
"We're due," Graba said. "We're looking good in the gym. And I think at some point, they'll put it together. I hope it's this Friday."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @jeff_shearer