AUBURN, Ala. - A combined 29 kills from a pair of Auburn volleyball newcomers helped lead the Tigers to a thrilling 3-2 (25-22, 21-25, 25-18, 18-25, 15-9) victory over Stephen F. Austin on Friday night.
Freshman Brenna McIlroy posted 17 kills and junior transfer CiCi Silva added 12 as Auburn (1-0) claimed its season opener in front of 961 fans at Auburn Arena. Stephen F. Austin (0-1), the defending Southland Conference regular-season champions, had won 16 straight regular-season matches coming into the 2015 season.
"We're obviously happy to come away with a win there," Auburn head coach Rick Nold said.