Alabama Volleyball Heads to Auburn for Midweek Matchup on SEC Network

Wednesday, October 2

Auburn, Ala.

7 p.m. CT

Alabama

Auburn

Photo by: Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

Alabama Volleyball Heads to Auburn for Midweek Matchup on SEC Network

10/1/2019 1:36:00 PM | Volleyball

Match Notes Live Stats Live Video (SEC Network)

This Week: Alabama (9-4, 1-1 SEC) at Auburn (6-7, 0-2 SEC)

Wednesday, Oct. 2 – 7 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
Auburn, Ala. – Auburn Arena

Scouting Alabama

Alabama is 9-4 after rallying to defeat Arkansas in five sets Sunday, marking the Crimson Tide's first Southeastern Conference win of the season
Five of Alabama's next seven matches will be away from home, but the Tide will then close out the regular season with six of its nine remaining matches in Foster Auditorium
Six of the Alabama's nine victories this season have been sweeps
Freshman Alyiah Wells is ranked in the top 10 in the SEC in blocks (3rd - 56) and hitting percentage (6th - .367)
The Crimson Tide returns 11 players from last season's team, including starters Doris Carter, Meghan Neelon, Kaylee Thomas, Ginger Perinar and Hayley McSparin
Eight newcomers join the roster, including six freshmen and two graduate transfers

All-Time vs. Auburn

Overall: 84th Meeting (Alabama leads 51-32)
In Tuscaloosa: 27-12 | In Auburn: 19-15 | At Neutral Sites: 5-5
Current Streak: Alabama +2
Last Meeting: Oct. 7, 2018 - W, 3-0 - Auburn, Ala.

Last Time Out: Alabama Rallies to Defeat Arkansas in Five Sets

In front of a raucous Foster Auditorium crowd of over 1,100, Alabama overcame a 2-1 match deficit to win the fourth and fifth sets, defeating Arkansas for the Crimson Tide's first Southeastern Conference win of the season
Alabama fell in the opening set to Arkansas, 25-20, before winning the second set by the same score to even the match at 1-1
The Razorbacks earned a narrow 25-22 victory in the third before the Tide again matched the set score, winning the fourth set by three points to force a deciding fifth frame
After two tie scores early in the fifth, Alabama began to pull away and eventually win, 15-9, to cap the comeback
Junior Doris Carter put on an offensive showcase, knocking in a career-best 22 kills with a .375 hitting percentag, adding 11 digs for her second double-double of the season along with three blocks
Freshman Emily Janek also earned a double-double, finishing with 30 assists and 11 digs while seeing some time in the front row with five blocks
Four players finished with double-digit digs, led by junior Kaylee Thomas at 15, while freshman Alyiah Wells stuffed a season-best nine blocks

Alabama in the SEC Rankings (Top Five)

Team (Overall)

3rd - Blocks (121, 2.52/set)
4th - Opponent Hitting Percentage (.166)

Individual (Overall)

3rd - Blocks - Alyiah Wells (56, 1.27/set)

Tide Making Second Televised Appearance of 2019

Wednesday's match at Auburn is the second of five scheduled TV appearances by the Crimson Tide this season

Alabama Volleyball Television Schedule

Tuesday, Sept. 24 at Texas A&M - L, 1-3
Wednesday, Oct. 2 at Auburn - 7 p.m. CT (SEC Network)
Wednesday, Oct. 9 vs. Mississippi State - 6 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
Sunday, Oct. 27 at South Carolina - 12 p.m. CT (ESPNU)
Sunday, Nov. 17 at Arkansas - 12 p.m. CT (SEC Network)

Alabama on the SEC Network

Since the launch of the SEC Network during the 2014 season, Alabama has been featured in 29 matches, winning 17 of them with a 12-6 mark at home and 5-6 mark on the road.

Sept. 24, 2014 at Georgia: W, 3-1
Oct. 12, 2014 vs. South Carolina: W, 3-1
Oct. 26, 2014 vs. Arkansas: W, 3-1
Nov. 9, 2014 at South Carolina: W, 3-2
Nov. 16, 2014 vs. Georgia: W, 3-0
Sept. 23, 2015 vs. Mississippi State: W, 3-1
Oct. 11, 2015 vs. Missouri: W, 3-2
Oct. 18, 2015 at LSU: W, 3-2
Oct. 25, 2015 vs. Georgia: W, 3-0
Oct. 28, 2015 at Missouri: L, 2-3
Nov. 1, 2015 at Arkansas: W, 3-2
Nov. 8, 2015 vs. South Carolina: W, 3-1
Nov. 15, 2015 vs. Auburn: W, 3-0
Nov. 25, 2015 vs. Ole Miss: L, 1-3
Sept. 23, 2016 vs. Texas A&M: W, 3-2
Sept. 25, 2016 vs. Florida: L, 0-3
Oct. 2, 2016 at Mississippi State: L, 2-3
Oct. 28, 2016 vs. Tennessee: L, 0-3
Nov. 6, 2016 vs. Arkansas: W, 3-1
Nov. 13, 2016 at Florida: L, 0-3
Sept. 22, 2017 at Georgia: L, 0-3
Sept. 27, 2017 vs. Arkansas: W, 3-2
Oct. 22, 2017 vs. South Carolina: W, 3-2
Oct. 27, 2017 at Mississippi State: W, 3-0
Nov. 1, 2017 at Auburn: L, 2-3
Nov. 5, 2017 vs. Georgia: L, 0-3
Nov. 8, 2017 vs. Kentucky: L, 1-3
Oct. 3, 2018 at Tennessee: L, 1-3
Oct. 28, 2018 vs. Ole Miss: L, 1-3

Moving up the UA Career Records

Senior Hayley McSparin is already among the top 10 at Alabama in career attack percentage (7th - .303) and solo blocks (8th - 63), just three shy of moving up to 7th in the latter, and she is currently 12 blocks and seven block assists shy of moving into the top 10 in those respective categories
With 825 career digs, junior Kaylee Thomas is 24 away from cracking the top-20, with her 2.90 digs-per-set average already ranked 10th