This past weekend in Tallahassee, Florida, Alexis DaCosta (Auburn libero) delivered the best defensive performance of her career with 25 digs. However, Florida State showed balance throughout the match and, with a late-set performance, defeated the Tigers 3-1 (21-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-14) on Sunday inside Tully Gym.
Auburn (6-2) started strong, and with a late push from the Seminoles, the Tigers won the first set with a notable performance from sophomore setter Kalei Edson. Her serving sparked an 11-0 run, giving the Tigers an edge. Outside hitter sophomore Lauren Dreves followed up, adding eight kills in the frame. Auburn secured the opener, 25-21.
Florida State (4–3) responded in the second set with an 8-2 run that quickly shifted momentum. Auburn’s service errors proved costly, and the Seminoles evened the match with a 25-18 win. Dreves added another five kills in the set and would go on to finish with a team-high 16.
In the third set, Auburn erased its six-point deficit with an 8-0 service run from senior Zoe Slaughter, accentuated by kills from Dreves and Liz Markovska (redshirt senior). Pushing Auburn ahead 19-17, Markovska put up 14 kills and 10 digs. However, with the score tied at 22, Florida State closed on a 3-0 surge to steal the set, 25-22, and take a 2-1 lead.
From there, the Seminoles dominated with strong serving, disrupting Auburn’s rhythm in the fourth, and controlled the frame from start to finish, finishing with a 25-14 victory.
Florida State was powered by outside hitter junior Iane Henke, who achieved a career-high 19 kills. Sophomore Kyleene Filimaua added 16, while freshman Nenu Kepu had a breakout performance with 11 kills and a team-best six blocks. Libero Mio Yamamoto (senior) collected 20 digs to stabilize the back row.
With the win, Florida State broke Auburn’s six-match win streak and earned its first victory over the Tigers since 2017.
The Tigers will next travel to Birmingham, Alabama, and will play at the Pete Hanna Center for the Alabama Showdown—UAB, Samford, and South Alabama—September 18-20.
