AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn volleyball fell 3-1 to LSU Sunday afternoon at Neville Arena. The loss drops Auburn to 12-9 overall and 2-7 in conference play.
Despite resilience in the second and third sets, Auburn struggled to match LSU's offense. A particular issue for Auburn was defending against outside hitter Jurnee Robinson, who led
both teams with 19 kills.
LSU came out strong in the first set, taking an early lead after an 8-1 scoring run. They maintained control throughout the set, hitting .483 and eventually taking it 25-16.
Auburn was quick to respond in the second set, putting together two separate five-point runs to take a 16-10 lead. Anastasija Ivkovic led Auburn's offense with seven kills, while Emma Moore secured the final point to give Auburn a 25-21 win, tying the match at one set apiece.
The third set was a back-and-forth battle between the two teams, with 17 ties and eight lead
changes. Auburn jumped out to an early 11-8 lead but struggled to maintain its advantage as LSU fought its way back. Despite keeping the score close, Auburn ultimately fell 25-23 after a service error gave LSU the final point.
Heading into the fourth set, LSU wasted no time taking control, scoring seven unanswered points to start. Auburn found itself trailing 18-6 before making a late push to bring the score within four points.
However, LSU managed to hold off Auburn's comeback, taking the final set 25-18 and
securing the match victory.
Ivkovic and Belle Patrick led Auburn offensively with 11 kills each, while Moore recorded a
career-high nine kills with a .615 hitting percentage. On the defensive side, Emily Keiran led the
Tigers with 18 digs.
Following Sunday's loss, Auburn will look to bounce back as it continues conference play at home. The Tigers are set to face No. 5 Florida on Friday, Oct. 30, followed by Oklahoma on Sunday, Nov. 1.
