Troy clinches third seed in SBC Volleyball Tournament
Published 9:28 am Monday, November 13, 2023
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After splitting a Sun Belt Conference series with Georgia Southern (20-7, 10-6) this weekend, the Troy Trojans (14-12, 12-4) have secured the No. 3 seed in the SBC West in the upcoming SBC Volleyball Tournament.
Troy opened the weekend with a 3-2 win over the Eagles on Nov. 9. The Trojans won the first set 26-24 and took a 2-0 lead by capturing the second set by a score of 25-19. The Eagles rallied to take the next two sets 25-16 and 25-18, however. In the fifth and deciding set, Troy took the win 15-7. That win resulted in Troy earning its 12th conference win, setting a school record.
Amiah Butler led Troy with 15 kills and three blocks, while Tori Hester added 11 kills, one ace and 13 digs. Julia Brooks chipped in with seven kills, five blocks and two digs, while Ella Broadhead tallied nine kills and three blocks. Janelle Stuempfig dished 41 assists and Jaci Mesa earned 21 digs. Caroline Darracott also totaled 13 digs and Olivia Grantham earned 11 digs.
In the rematch on Nov. 10, Georgia Southern managed to come away with a 3-2 win. GSU took the first set 25-17 but Troy responded by earning a 26-24 win in the second set. The two sides continued to trade sets as the Eagles took the third by a score of 25-17 and Troy won the fourth set 25-20. The Eagles, however, dominated the fifth set 15-5 to capture the match and split the series.
Hester led the Trojans with 19 kills, two blocks, one ace and 26 digs, while Butler tallied 18 kills, three blocks and five digs. Brooks also earned eight kills and six blocks, while Broadhead earned eight kills and Stuempig earned 44 assists and 13 digs. Mesa and Darracott both earned 15 digs, while Sara Bates had 11 digs. Brooks already came into the season with the school record for solo blocks and total blocks and she now owns the record block assists, as well. Her 1,682.5 career points also moves her into fifth place all-time.
At the end of the regular season, both Brooks and Hester have moved into the Top 10 in career kills. Brooks now sits at No. 7 all-time with 1,409 career kills, while Hester is No. 10 all-time with 1,188 career kills. Hester’s 3.68 kills per set also ranks No. 2 in school history.
For much of the regular season Troy led the Sun Belt West, winning 10 consecutive conference matches at one point, but since that time has split two of the last three series of the season. As a result, Troy finishes as the No. 3 seed in the SBC West.
As the No. 3 seed, Troy earns a bye from the first round and will play the winner of the Appalachian State vs. ULM on Nov. 16 in a match that will stream on ESPN+ at 4:30 p.m.