Alabama
Auburn
Volleyball Takes Down Auburn 3-1
11/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Nov. 2, 2008
AUBURN, Ala. - Four players combined for 52 kills as the volleyball team downed Auburn 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 22-25, 29-27) Sunday at the Student Activities Center. With the win, the Crimson Tide improves to 12-10 on the season and 5-8 in Southeastern Conference matches, while Auburn falls to 6-19 overall and 1-13 in league play.
"It was an even match today," said head coach Judy Green. "I liked the character that we showed at the end of set four, and I liked how we blocked the ball. We've just got to keep working on getting better."
Leading the Alabama offensive attack was Brooks Webster with 18 kills. She was followed by Alyssa Meuth with 13 kills, Ashley Frazier with 11 and Lindsey Buteyn with 10. Frazier also scooped up 11 digs for her first career double-double in the crimson and white uniform. Calli Johnson had one of her best performances at the net collecting one solo block and six block assists. Stephanie Riley led the setting duo with 27 assists, while Lauren Martin dished out 21 of her own. Amy Pauly topped all defenders with 15 digs.
Alabama took a quick 2-0 lead off two Auburn attack errors in the first set. The Tigers scored the next six points to take the 6-2 lead early on. The Tide answered back rattling off six consecutive points of its own including kills from Frazier, Elizabeth Salstrand, Webster and Johnson. Alabama continued to pull ahead going up by as many as four, but Auburn fought back into the set and eventually tied the score at 15-15 behind a 6-3 run. On the next play the Tigers' Sara Shanks served an ace to take their second lead of the set and would hold the advantage until the Tide scored three consecutive points setting the score at 20-19. Alabama closed out the first on an 8-0 run to take the set 25-19.
Auburn got the scoring started in the second off a kill from Jessica Glover. Webster laid down a kill on the next play for the first of eight ties in the set. The score remained close throughout before Alabama pulled in front by four at 19-15. The Tigers didn't stray far and got back to within one at 23-22, but the Tide held strong closing out the second on an Alyssa Meuth kill for the 25-23 win.
Alabama put up the first point of the third frame off a big block from Johnson and Salstrand. Auburn answered back with a kill from Glover. The Tide kept the lead throughout much of the early part of the set until the Tigers took the 13-12 advantage. Auburn expanded its lead by as many as four points, but Alabama rolled back behind a 5-2 scoring run to tie the third for the 11th time. Riley delivered a service ace on the next play giving the Tide its first lead since the score was set at 11-10. Johnson and Salstrand teamed up for yet another block giving the Tide a two-point buffer, but the Tigers 6-1 scoring run to end the third awarded them the 25-22 set win.
Auburn jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead in the fourth. Alabama countered with four consecutive points to take the 5-4 edge. The Tigers tied it up on the next play before taking the lead back at 6-5 off a block from Jyoti Ruffin and Olympia Haney. Auburn continued to pull away, but, reluctant to give up, the Tide rolled back tying to score at 21-21 behind an ace from Pauly. The two teams traded point over the next several possessions making for an exciting finish. Three straight kills for Alabama from Webster, Meuth and Buteyn sealed the set 29-27 and the match victory.
For the match, the Tide put forth one of its best blocking efforts with a total of 11 rejections at the net. It also recorded eight services aces.
Next up, Alabama will play a pair of road contests on Nov. 7 at LSU and Nov. 9 at Georgia. Friday's matchup with the Tigers is scheduled to tip at 7:00 p.m. (CST), while Sunday's meeting with the Bulldogs is slated for 12:30 p.m. (CST).
