The Troy Trojans volleyball team announced its 2025 schedule on Thursday, featuring matchups with four Power 4 programs along with a loaded home slate. 

Troy opens up the 2025 season with a home exhibition against Jacksonville State on Aug. 23 before hitting the road for three straight matches to start the regular season. Troy travels to face the SEC’s Georgia on Aug. 30 and then heads to Birmingham to face Samford on Aug. 31 and wraps up the first road trip at Auburn on Sept. 3. 

Troy begins its regular season home stand against Jackson State on Sept. 6 and Mercer on Sept. 10 before traveling to Kennesaw State on Sept. 14 and wrapping up non-conference matches with matches against Virginia on Sept. 20 and Ohio State on Sept. 21, both in Columbus, Ohio. 

The conference schedule begins on the road at rival South Alabama on Sept. 26-27 and then Troy hosts Texas State for a series Oct. 2-3. The Trojans host Georgia Southern for a series Oct. 10-11 and then hit the road again for a series at Louisiana Oct. 16-17.

Back at home, Troy hosts Arkansas State Oct. 23-24 before traveling to ULM Oct. 30-31. The final month of the regular season begins Nov. 7-8 with a home series against Southern Miss before closing out the regular season on the road at Appalachian State Nov. 14-15. The Sun Belt Tournament begins Nov. 20 in Foley. 

“We have another challenging schedule ahead of us this fall,” Troy Coach Josh Lauer said. “The Sun Belt was the sixth best volleyball conference in the country the last two years, and 2025 looks to be another competitive year for the conference nationally as well. Our non-conference schedule will really test and prepare us for conference play and give our student-athletes one of the best competitive experiences possible.”

Troy comes into 2025 off a 13-14 record last season and will have to replace one of the most decorated players in school history in Tori Hester, who graduated last season. Not only did Hester break a number of single-season and career Troy records, she also earned All-American honors and was the Sun Belt Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year last season.

However, Troy does return a slew of veterans like senior outside hitter Amiah Butler, senior defensive specialist Jaci Mesa, senior setter Jordan Sinness and sophomore outside hitter Kalina Calvillo. 

Last season, Butler tallied 275 kills, 15 aces, 47 blocks and 129 digs. Mesa earned 81 assists, 11 aces and 303 digs, while Sinness dished 341 assists and earned 16 aces and 133 digs. Calvillo also tallied 84 kills, 48 digs and 20 blocks. 

Troy also added a large freshman class, which features outside hitter Brooke Forkum, middle hitter Lainey Waser, defensive specialist Brooke Dawson, setter Josie Hensley and setter Madison Marx. Hensely earned All-Region and District Player of the Year as a senior at Clearwater Central Catholic High School in Florida. She dished 712 assists with 140 kills, 30 aces, 44 blocks and 251 digs as a senior. 

Wasser earned All-District as a senior at Rockwood Summit High School in Missouri, totalling 178 kills, 46 blocks, 27 digs and six assists. Forkum was All-County three straight seasons at Middleburg High School in Florida and amassed 1,085 kills, 106 blocks and 946 digs during her career.

Marx earned All-Conference and All-State at Franklin High School in Wisconsin and set her school’s career record for aces in a match, career aces and single season aces. She amassed 2,453 assists, 907 digs, 321 aces, 212 digs and 40 blocks during her high school playing days. Dawson earned District Libero of the Year in 2023 and 2024 and recorded 1,264 career digs with 74 aces.