Alabama volleyball fell short to in-state rival Auburn on Sunday, losing 3-1. The Crimson Tide is now 0-2 in the SEC and 8-5 overall on the season.
In the first set, Auburn immediately took the lead at 2-1 and never looked back, ultimately winning 25-19. Set 2, by contrast, was all Alabama. The Crimson Tide never trailed, taking as much as a 13-point lead and ultimately winning dominantly 25-15.
The third set remained competitive, with the largest lead being only 2 points for either side. Ultimately Auburn ran away in extra time and won 29-27. The Tigers continued that momentum into Set 4 and avoided a late Crimson Tide comeback with a 25-22 win to clinch the game.
Despite the tough start to SEC play, the team feels as though it can turn things around.
“It’s about the little things,” head coach Rashinda Reed said. “We just gotta figure it out.”
The Crimson Tide offense was able to keep up with Auburn’s, with 148 attacks compared to Auburn’s 144 and more kills at 55-51. However, it was the errors that proved costly to Alabama’s offensive pursuit. The team had 16 service errors and seven blocking errors, both more than Auburn.
Reed said that to turn the season around, the team will need to fight harder for wins, especially in close games like this.
“We have to just go, go, go,” Reed said. “You’ve got to want it and battle.”
Outside hitter Sophie Agee led the offense with 19 kills and 56 total attacks for 19.5 points. Middle blocker Chaise Campbell had eight kills on a .389 hitting percentage and 9.5 points. Setter Callie Kieffer dominated both the offensive and defensive ends with 19 assists and 14 digs.
With another SEC showdown coming up, the team hopes to build on what it has learned from these first two games.
“We have to create an atmosphere where they are not comfortable,” Reed said. She added that the team needs to “fight through adversity.”
Alabama’s next game is in Tuscaloosa on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT, when the team hosts the Georgia Bulldogs. The matchup will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
