AUBURN, Ala. – Head coach Brent Crouch and the Auburn Tigers (14-6, 4-5) return to Neville Arena to host Ole Miss (13-7, 3-5) on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, doors open one hour prior to serve and admission is free. For those unable to make it to the plains, the match will be streamed live on SEC Network Plus.
QUICK HITS
With her third kill against South Carolina, Madison Scheer became the 16th player in program history to record 1,000 career kills. Scheer is the fastest Tiger to accomplish the feat and the first since Brenna McIlroy (2015-18).
The Tigers remain one of the defensive leaders in the Southeastern Conference. Auburn ranks second in the SEC in opponent hitting percentage (.180), digs per set (16.35) and blocks per set (2.74). All of the marks rank in the top 50 in the country.
Graduate Chelsey McCurdy has carried the bulk of the load for the Orange and Blue blocking unit. At 1.23 blocks per set, McCurdy ranks sixth in the SEC. Her 92 total blocks on the year rank fourth.
Auburn's back-row defense is led by standout libero Alexis Dacosta. The Baylor transfer is averaging 3.80 digs per set, the sixth-best mark in the conference. Dacosta has reached double-digit digs totals in 16 of the 20 matches this season.
Freshman Kalei Edson continues to make waves at the service line. The Centralia, Illinois product ranks inside the top 10 in the conference in aces per set (0.35).
Louisville, Kentucky native Fallan Lanham has also been a dynamic server for the Tigers. Lanhan has dialed up at least one ace in six straight matches, including a run of three straight matches with multiple aces.
Jasmine Okeoma logged an impressive performance in the front row against the Gamecocks. The redshirt-freshman recorded a career-high eight blocks.
Rookie outside hitter Lauren Dreves has started to pick up steam over the last two matches. The Vancouver, Washington native notched 14 kills against both LSU and South Carolina averaging a monstrous .342 hitting percentage.
LAST TIME OUT
Lauren Dreves led the way with 14 kills on her 39 swings with zero errors and Madison Scheer collected her 1,000th career kill against South Carolina. Despite the offense output and 15.5 team blocks, the Tigers weren't able to rally past the Gamecocks, falling in four sets on the road.
SCOUTING OLE MISS
Bre Henry enters her third year at the helm of the Ole Miss program, bringing national championship-level experience as an athlete and coach. Henry’s Rebels arrive on The Plains with a 13-7 overall record with a conference mark of 3-5.
On the offensive front, Ole Miss relies on setter Mokihana Tufono and outside hitter Nia Washington. The Hawaiian’s 10.16 assists per set sits top 10 in the SEC and top 50 in Division I volleyball. Meanwhile, Washington’s biggest strength is at the service line, leading the Rebels with 20 aces.
Like Auburn, Ole Miss relies on its defensive capabilities, ranking No. 3 in the SEC for opponent hitting percentage (.184) behind the Tigers. Libero Cammy Niesen maintains the back row for the Rebels. Averaging 4.37 digs per set, the Cincinnati, Ohio, native ranks third in the conference for digs.
AUBURN-OLE MISS SERIES
Auburn welcomes Ole Miss into Neville Arena for the 70th matchup between the two programs. The Tigers hold a 33-36 record against the Rebels, with a 15-11 mark on the Plains. Auburn has bested Ole Miss in eight of the last 10 meetings.