Auburn volleyball takes down No. 15 Florida State: Here’s the change that’s helped the Tigers take a step forward this season

Firing kills with big swings and sending back gnarly blocks, the Auburn volleyball team topped No. 15 Florida State in four sets on Sunday — and head coach Brent Crouch noticed a change somewhere along the way. The Tigers dropped the first set but kept their composure and won the next three.

They were never overwhelmed when down. They weren’t antsy, either, when they took the lead. It was an upset in the national rankings, but for Auburn it was just business.



Simply put, Auburn expected to win. That’s uncharted territory in a lot of ways for Auburn, a program that’s never had the success it’s had in the last two seasons, but the players feel right at home playing the favorite. Auburn is 6-0 on the season in six home matches heading into its first road test in Minneapolis.

“I think we’re rolling into Minnesota with more confidence than this program has ever had,” Crouch said. And that change in culture comes from a talented freshman group that’s come to the Plains expected to work and win just like they would at the other volleyball powers that tried to recruit them — so says fifth-year senior Bella Bell. “I think it’s thanks to them, 100%, the culture shift that we have had at Auburn this season.

For sure,” Bell insisted. That class includes outside hitter Lauren Dreves who had 11 kills against the Seminoles, right-side Emma Moore who had the game-winning kill in the fourth, and setter Kalei Edson who splits time running the Auburn attack with reshirt junior Peyton Dunn. Bell says she remembers telling her parents and family back in the spring about how eager the freshmen were when they got into practice.

“I feel like we’re kind of an older team, so coming in as a freshman and wanting to be an impact, and wanting to get better, be on the court and give us points, is something I definitely didn’t experience last year, having the freshmen come in and just be so eager and want to produce on the court,” Bell explained. “It’s definitely a different culture than it was last year, thanks to the freshmen. Even the ones that don’t get as much playtime, they’re still loudest on the bench, always in the gym — so it’s like all around, the freshman group has made a huge impact.

” Crouch said he sees that vibe shift on the floor. Since coming to Auburn from Southern California, Auburn’s made steady improvements each season under Crouch, making the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and 2023. Those were only the second and third times Auburn’s ever been to the NCAA Tournament.

Now as Auburn looks to make it three in a row, Crouch sends a Tigers team out on the floor that doesn’t act like the new kids on the block in the top-25 scene, but more like the stalwarts who’ve been there and belong. “It just seems like this is the year where it’s finally shifting in terms of, like, dude, we’re good. It’s not, like, ‘upsets’ when we’re beating good teams,” Crouch said.

“This team comes in and they’re ranked 15, and you know, we didn’t play great in the first set, but it wasn’t like deer in the headlights. It was just kind of medium, feeling it out a little bit. But there’s just generally a feel with this group of, like, we expect to win.

And I don’t know if Auburn has ever had that. We won a lot the last two years but I just still think there was just doubt in some of the players’ minds. “But this group, I think it’s a higher level mentally.

” It’s a higher level and a higher expectation for Auburn — proud of Sunday’s top-15 win over Florida State, but bent on making wins like that more the norm. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sports Editor {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items..