• Student Activities Center
• New SAC Entrance
• Match Notes
• Record Book
• Quick Facts
• SEC
• Archives

Dec. 16, 2009

AUBURN, Ala. - The 2009 season was one worth remembering for the Auburn volleyball program as the young Tiger squad put together the team's best season in 10 years.

The Tigers finished the season with a 16-15 overall mark and were 8-12 in the Southeastern Conference. Auburn concluded the year second in the SEC West and tied for fifth overall in the league. The 16 overall wins and eight SEC victories were the most the team has had since 1999.

"The overall season was a great success," said Wade Benson, head volleyball coach. "All the players and coaches did a great job and I'm so proud of everyone associated with the program. This year was a major step in turning the Auburn volleyball program NCAA tournament contender."

BIG WINS AND TOUGH COMPETITION
The Auburn squad faced tough competition this season, facing five nationally-ranked opponents. Also, the team took on nine squads that were selected to the 2009 NCAA Championships, including Final Four participant Minnesota.

Among the team's great achievements this year were key wins over tough SEC opponents. On Oct. 4, the Tigers defeated Arkansas (3-2) for just the fourth time in the two teams' history. Auburn hosted Alabama on Oct. 23 and picked up the three-set sweep over its in-state rival. The win marked just the second time in 10 years the Tigers have defeated the Crimson Tide.

The national tournament-contending Tennessee Lady Vols came to Auburn on Nov. 13 and, despite being down two sets, the Tigers came away with the 3-2 win. The victory marked just the second time since the 1998 season that Auburn has bested Tennessee.

FRESHMEN CONTRIBUTIONS
The Tigers welcomed nine freshmen to the team at the start of the 2009 season. The class was ranked the 26th-best in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com. First years Katherine Culwell and Sarah Bullock made immediate impacts on the team, as both earned starting roles on the outside and provided a high percentage of the team's offense.

Bullock led the team in total kills (296), kills per set (2.62) and total attempts (889), while also owning a team best 11 solo blocks. She also finished with a team-high eight double-doubles. For her efforts, Bullock was named to the All-SEC Freshmen team.

Other freshmen instrumental to the Auburn success this season were Courtney McDonald, MacKenzy Harper, Kendall Burgess and Brittney Rhude.

UPPERCLASS LEADERSHIP
Providing leadership on and off the court for the young squad were six juniors and three sophomores. Junior Liz Crouch finished the season as the sixth-best libero in the SEC and had a team-leading 453 total digs with a 4.08 digs per set average. Junior Lauren Mellor led the squad with 97 total blocks, while classmate Alyssa Davis hit a team-best .316. Sophomore Christina Solverson and junior Sara Shanks shared setting responsibilities, finishing with 608 and 559 total assists, respectively. Junior Morgan Johns finished second on the squad in total kills (266) and attempts (662).

CROUCH MILESTONES
Crouch reached a handful of milestones during her junior season. On Oct. 4, Crouch became the eighth Tiger to record 1,000 career digs. In total, the New Orleans native has 1,234 career digs and sits third all-time at Auburn. Her 453 digs this season also placed her in the record books, as that mark is the most-ever reached by a Tiger in a single season.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Three Tigers earned SEC Player of the Week honors this season. Culwell and Bullock picked up two SEC Freshman of the Week honors each, while Crouch earned Defensive Player of the Week.

Having three players honored by the conference marked the first time in Auburn volleyball history that the team has had more than two honors during a season.

More Auburn Football Headlines

More Auburn Headlines

SEC Headlines