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The Troy Trojans (18-12, 11-5) saw their bid for a Sun Belt Championship come to an end on Saturday, losing 3-2 to the James Madison Dukes (23-4, 15-1) in the SBC Semifinals in Foley.

Troy won the first set 25-22 and James Madison tied the match with a 25-22 win in the second set before taking a 2-1 advantage with a 26-24 win in the third set. Troy forced a fifth set with a 25-18 win in the fourth. The Dukes clinched their spot in the finals with a 15-12 win in the fifth set.

“I’m proud of how we played tonight against a terrific opponent in JMU,” Josh Lauer said. “Our team was very cohesive tonight and played their hearts out.

“There was a lot of emotion after the match, especially from our departing seniors who had done so much for Troy Volleyball during their time as Trojans. I think our team is worthy of a NIVC bid, and I hope this team can play more postseason volleyball together.”

Freshman Amiah Butler earned a career-high 22 kills in the loss, while sophomore Tori Hester tallied 18 kills, three aces and 18 digs. Halston Hiller and Julia Brooks each had 12 kills, while Amara Anderson totaled 63 assists. Brooks also had eight blocks on the day.

Sophie Davis led James Madison with 20 kills and 10 blocks, while Miette Veldman had 13 kills and Hannah Roberts had 36 assists.

Troy competed in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) Tournament last season and the NIVC will announce its 2022 selections on Nov. 27.