Alabama volleyball suffered another conference loss this Sunday, this time losing to its in-state rival Auburn. This brings the team’s SEC record to 0-11, with the overall record now being 10-12.
Auburn dominated in the first set. The first few points were going both ways, but when Auburn took the lead 7-6 it never looked back, winning the set by a score of 25-18.
However, Alabama never gave up. The Crimson Tide fought hard in the second set and was able to pull away late with a win, making the sets even at 1. Alabama then got down early in the third and fourth sets and was starting to mount a comeback, however, Auburn was able to pull away late, winning the sets 25-23 and 25-22, making the final score 3-1.
Despite the loss, the team felt the game was one of the best it had played all season long.
“This is one of the first games that we put a lot of things together that normally aren’t together,” outside hitter Kendyl Reaugh said. “We are right there, just keep working and keep grinding and we will win.”
Reaugh put together a nice performance on the attacking end, putting up nine kills, 36 total attacks and ten points. Middle blocker Jordyn Towns also played well upfront, racking up 10 kills, 24 total attacks and 12 points as well.
Players said they believe that a performance like this can help them pick up their first conference win.
“All in all, I think that’s the best we have played all season,” middle blocker Chaise Campbell said. “We are just getting closer and closer, and we can see how fighting hard can pay off, we played our heart today.”
Campbell made her presence known up front, rallying in 10 kills, 14 points and 19 total attacks on a .421 hitting percentage.
The Crimson Tide also played well on the defensive side of the ball. Outside hitter Kaleigh Palmer, Campbell and Reaugh were each able to put up a solo block. Campbell also led the team with six blocking assists, followed by Towns with four and setter Callie Kieffer with three.
Despite the challenging season the team has faced so far, head coach Rashinda Reed is very optimistic about the progress the team has made.
“I thought that we battled, I thought both teams battled, and we just got one step closer to performing and excelling as a team,” Reed said. “This team is competitors. The freshmen are stepping up. The seniors are leading well. Seeing the growth happen with every match is awesome.”
Satisfied with how well they played today, the players are hopeful that today’s game can help guide them through the challenging season the team has been through.
Alabama’s next game is Sunday, Nov. 3, in which it will travel to College Station to take on Texas A&M.
