AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn volleyball returned to Neville Arena Friday night with a statement win, sweeping Ole Miss 3-0 and snapping a six-match Southeastern Conference losing streak. The Tigers defeated the Rebels 25-16, 25-16, 25-22, improving to 12-8 overall and 2-6 in SEC play.
Auburn controlled the opening set, pulling away for a 25-16 win before repeating the score in a dominant second-set performance. The Tigers carried their momentum into the third, holding off Ole Miss 25-22 to secure the straight-set victory and open their six-match homestand on a high note.
The Tigers finished with 45 kills, nine total blocks and 46 digs, establishing a strong defensive presence throughout the match. Auburn limited Ole Miss to 33 kills and just two blocks, helping prevent the Rebels from gaining momentum. Ole Miss recorded 51 digs but struggled to overcome Auburn’s offensive and defensive pressure.
The victory was especially important after Auburn dropped six consecutive SEC matches against Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Missouri, Texas and Texas A&M.
The Tigers’ most recent outing came against No. 19 Texas A&M, where Auburn battled back to win the third set 29-27 before falling in four sets. Despite the loss, several Tigers delivered strong individual performances heading into Friday’s matchup.
Junior outside hitter Belle Patrick recorded a team-high 16 kills and a career-best 17 digs against Texas A&M for her third double-double of the season. Patrick entered Friday averaging 3.65 kills per set and had recently reached 500 career kills against Missouri.
Junior right-side hitter Anastasija Ivkovic also came off an efficient performance against the Aggies, recording nine kills without an error on 17 attacks while hitting .529. Middle blocker Emma Moore added a season-high seven blocks, strengthening Auburn’s presence at the net.
Auburn’s victory continued its recent success against Ole Miss. Although the Rebels held the all-time series advantage entering Friday, the Tigers had won 12 of the previous 16 meetings. Auburn also swept Ole Miss in Oxford last season, winning all three sets 25-21.
The Rebels entered the matchup at 8-10 overall and 2-5 in SEC play while riding a five-match losing streak. Auburn will look to build on Friday’s victory when it hosts LSU on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. CT at Neville Arena. The match will be streamed on SEC Network+.
