No. 24 Auburn (16-5, 6-4) came back from down two sets to none to defeat Georgia (13-8, 4-5) on Friday night in Athens.
The Tigers rallied after losing the first two sets, 22-25 and 18-25 before going on to win the next three 25-23, 25-18, and 15-11.
Maybe the Tigers just needed to settle into the road environment.
"I thought as the match went on, we just got more comfortable with what they were doing. When you play away, sometimes it's like that," Auburn head coach Brent Crouch said. "You've got to get used to the gym and the environment, and sometimes it takes a set or two."
Auburn has shown all season that it can never be counted out, and the squad responded in a big way after the first two sets. The serve-receive success improved thanks to Paige Thibault and Zoe Slaughter, while digs helped the Tigers get going. Thibault matched her career high in digs with 23 on the night.
Auburn also capitalized on Georgia's aggressive serving after the first two sets. Kendal Kemp and Kyla Swanson each had seven blocks in the match. The Tigers would take the third set, and the momentum swung in their favor.
In the fourth set, it was the service game that came up big. Thibault, Slaughter, and Akasha Anderson all had long runs serving and helped the Tigers take the set.
"I thought we did a really nice job in sets three, four, and five, serving them tougher than we did in the first set," Crouch said.
After winning the fourth set, the Tigers knew the match was theirs for the taking. After an all-around comeback effort form the Tigers, Bella Bell would finish off the night with the match point, and Auburn would complete the huge comeback.
It was an impressive effort for Brent Crouch's team to overcome a major deficit on the road and win. The road does not get any easier in the SEC, though. Next up, the Tigers head to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabam on Sunday, Oct. 29, at 11 a.m. CT.
