AUBURN, Ala. – Graduate student Kyla Swanson led the Tigers with six kills on an even .500 hitting but it wasn't quite enough to get by a stern Kentucky squad (14-7, 12-1) as No. 24 Auburn (18-6, 8-5) fell to the Wildcats, 3-0 (25-14, 25-11, 25-14).
The Auburn fanbase packed in Neville for the second-ever top-25 matchup in Arena history. A record 2,529 were in attendance to fuel the Tigers on.
Tough, diligent serving was the running theme in the opening frame and most of the evening. Madison Scheer and Kyla Swanson were each the beneficiaries of Jackie Barrett's assists but the Orange and Blue were having a tough time finding rhythm.
Even though, Akasha Anderson, Kendal Kemp, Barrett and Swanson all produced a block, four aces from the Wildcats, coupled with just .120 hitting from the Tigers was too much to overcome as the visitors took set No. 1.
Kentucky transfer Bella Bell was determined to showcase her skills in the second stanza. The Blythewood, South Carolina native put down four kills on her nine swings.
However, Auburn wasn't able to find the same success at the service line as their counterparts. Hitting just .040 compared to .400, the Wildcats widened their lead over the Tigers two sets to none.
When the Orange and Blue passed well in the third, the team gave the home crowd something to cheer about. Swanson slammed home a pair of kills in front of the 10-foot line. The Wahoo, Nebraska product finished her night with six kills on an even .500 hitting.
Sarah Morton stepped her game up in the final frame, running down five of her team-leading 10 digs.
Still, though, the top-ranked team in the conference knew the right buttons to press early and often. Three more aces and another set with a hitting percentage north of .500 was the final blow for Auburn on Wednesday as the Tigers fell for just the sixth time this season.
MATCH NOTES
- Kyla Swanson led all Tigers with six kills on .500 hitting
- Sarah Morton finished with 10 digs, marking the 12th match she's hit double digits this season
CROUCH'S COMMENTS
"We're not a great ball control team. We've known that. We have to get better at passing, digging and setting, just kind of controlling the ball a little bit better. Kentucky is elite at those skills and so is Arkansas. Tennessee is up there too. When you're able to put the ball where you want to off your forearms and you've got a setter at the level of Emma Grome who's putting it, you know every time they're getting good swings, it's tough. We would get a good pass and then we would get a good set, and then we'd hit it out. And then the next play, we're not a good enough passing team to get another perfect pass in a row. So the next pass is medium and then we get a medium set, and we have to tip. All of a sudden we've lost two points. That's just where we are right now. I thought some players probably underperformed here and there, some of the young ones. We are on this journey to get where Kentucky and Arkansas are. The main area that we've got to improve in is just general ball control stuff.
Kentucky is back there, we're taking a good swing and they're not just digging it, they are digging it five feet right in the middle of the court and it's, 'hey where am I going to set? I can set anywhere I want.' We're digging balls higher, further off the net, harder to set, harder to get swings. We're just not stringing together enough good contacts in a row. When you play a team at that level, if you don't capitalize on the good pass, then you're in trouble because you may not get the good pass on the next play.
That's just where we are. We've got four sophomores out there. The players that I think played the best were the oldest on our team, Kyla [Swanson] and Bella [Bell]. We've still got some youth and we've still got some growing pains. But it's nothing to panic about. They're a really good team and we're not at their level yet. But it's just another step in the journey we're on right now.
But it doesn't feel good to lose. It never does and it doesn't for them either, the players. They wanted to do great for a big crowd and for Auburn. It's certainly not an effort issue or anything like that. It is entirely just we're not ready for that moment yet against a top 10-12 team, at this point. We're just not ready. But they will be. For sure.
UP NEXT
Crouch and the Tigers head back out on the road on Sunday, Nov. 12 for a date with Missouri in Columbia. Auburn will be back home for the final three matches of the season, beginning on Sunday, Nov. 19 when the team hosts LSU for Military Appreciation Day.