No. 24 Auburn Tigers square off Wednesday night against the No. 13 Kentucky Wildcats at home. The top 25 matchup includes two NCAA tournament hopefuls, both of which look for a big win against a fellow ranked opponent.
Auburn has been ranked for 10 weeks for the first time in program history. Tigers head coach Brent Crouch has had the program on a steady track of improvement since he arrived on the Plains in 2020 as the Tigers look to capitalize on their national ranking to make their second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.
First, the Tigers will have to handle the task at hand as they look to beat a very good team at home as they enter the final stretch of the regular season.
The Tigers will need another great defensive performance from the team if they are to grab the upset
Auburn averages 12.5 digs per set, a solid number that will need to be reached and likely need to be exceeded if they are to beat the Wildcats.
Auburn's blocking has been the highlight of the team's front line as they have 233, led by Kendel Kemp, and Kyla Swanson who each have over 100 blocks on the season.
The Tiger offense will also be a key to the game, more specifically will they be able to go on the runs we have seen from them at times this season. Star Madison Sheer is the highlight of this Auburn offensive attack as she leads the team with 305 kills. Akasha Anderson has been a huge contributor herself with 278 kills. These two will be key if Auburn is serious about their upset bid.
Head Coach Brent Crouch knows the importance of this final stretch of games and specifically the opportunity they have to take down the No. 13 Kentucky Wildcats.
“This is the best chance we have to beat this team at home,” Crouch said last week at halftime of the men’s basketball exhibition.
Crouch knows the importance of this game and he knows its significance as Kentucky sits as the number 1 team in the conference and Auburn hasn't beaten them since 2010 when the Tigers edged out a 5 set victory.
The Tigers host the Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. CT on the Plains and the top 25 matchup will be streaming on the SECN+.
