(PHOTO/Troy Athletics)
Junior outside hitter Cheyenne Hayes posted 14 kills, two aces, and 14 digs in the road loss to Appalachian State.
Kennedy Roy
Staff Writer
Troy Volleyball went 0-2 to end the regular season on the road this weekend, defeated by Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State.
Coastal Carolina’s physical play at the net was too much for Troy as the Trojans dropped a tough road match to the Chanticleers Friday night at the HTC Center. The Chanticleers recorded 15 blocks en route to a 3-1 (36-38, 25-19, 29-27, 25-18) victory over the Trojans.
The first set was thrilling and contained 14 ties with a final score of 38-36 for the Trojans. The ladies seemed gassed after the first set and went on to drop the next three sets to Coastal Carolina. The Trojans (21-7, 10-5 Sun Belt) remain in third place in the Sun Belt East Division race while Coastal Carolina (22-5, 12-3 Sun Belt) solidified their spot atop the standings with one regular-season match remaining.
Cheyenne Hayes had an All-American night per usual, posting her eighth double-double of the season with 16 kills and 17 digs.
Amara Anderson once again put together an All-American worthy performance, as well, averaging 12.75 assists per set for a total of 51 on the night. Lacey Jeffcoat was solid on defense once again, finishing with 17 digs on the night.
Sunday afternoon Troy dropped the final regular-season game to Appalachian State at the Holmes Convocation Center. The game was a true fight that ended in heartbreak after The Mountaineers overcame a 2-1 Troy lead to down the Trojans, 3-2 (25-22, 13-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-12).
Troy finishes its season with a 21-8 overall record and a winning percentage of .724, the highest in school history. The Trojans’ 10 conference wins are tied for the most in program history. Appalachian State improved to 9-7 in league play and 13-16 overall.
Cheyenne Hayes became the third Trojan ever, and first since Rachel Hassan (2002-03), to record 400 kills in back-to-back seasons. The junior registered her ninth double-double of the season with 14 kills and 14 digs.
Amara Anderson tallied a season-high 58 total assists, good for a solid 11.60 assist per set average. The sophomore also had 13 digs for her 12th double-double of the season while adding two aces to her impressive performance.
Lacey Jeffcoat remained Troy’s anchor on defense, finishing with 16 digs and three assists.
Next for Troy is the Sun Belt Conference tournament in San Marcos, Texas, from Nov. 21-24. The Trojans will be the No. 4 seed, their highest seed since 2012 when Troy was the No. 2 seed.
