With Texas A&M volleyball’s home winning streak snapped in the SEC opener Sunday, the Aggies will look to counter their 3-1 loss to Arkansas by taking on the Auburn Tigers at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The Aggies (7-5, 0-1 SEC) have specifically struggled on the road, despite recording a mere one loss at home thus far. They have garnered a 3-4 record when not at home this season. But, two of their losses came to ranked opponents, No. 8 Stanford and No. 17 Florida State.
Sophomore Kiara McGee said she hopes to prove their struggles away from Reed Arena are only a fluke.
“No matter who we’re playing, we’re playing for ourselves,” McGee said. “We’re going to focus on us and go there, get the job done, and ignore their fans and the crowd around. That’s what usually gets teams down. We’re going to stick together, have our bench behind us, and just go get it.”
The Tigers (9-4, 1-0 SEC) have started the season strong with nine wins. Although outmatched by an undefeated top-ranked Penn State in Florida, Auburn swept its own War Eagle Invitational competition to open the season and followed with another sweep at the Memphis Tournament.
“Their blockers, they work hard to take the line first, then dive into the court,” junior Emily Hardesty said. “So as hitters, we’re going to have to work with that block set up and find open spots to get the ball down.”
Auburn’s home record reflects that of A&M. The Tigers have had a successful 5-1 record at home this year and in their most recent matchup, they topped Tennessee. Their defense poses a major threat to the Aggies in a hostile environment, as recognized by Aggie head coach Laurie Corbelli.
“Auburn has one of the best defenses in the SEC,” Corbelli said. “They are super tenacious, they do not let very much of their floor. You have to earn every single point and being on their surface and their gym, and on national TV, we’re going to have to just be really composed.”
A&M holds a 6-1 record against Auburn under Corbelli. Although both teams are unranked, they are looking for a place atop the SEC early on and a spot in the AVCA top 25 poll. They will duke it out on the court with first serve at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday aired on ESPNU.
