by Taylor Fraze
The Troy volleyball team played host to the Trojan Invitational over the weekend inviting Alabama State, Gardner-Webb and Jacksonville to compete. The Trojans finished the tournament 2-1 with wins over Alabama State and Gardner-Webb. Tori Hester totaled 54 kills over the span of these three games, and Amara Anderson complimented with 122 assists.
Troy played host to Alabama State Thursday night in what would end up being a beat down. Troy swept Alabama State, winning three straight sets to claim the victory 3-0. The Trojans dominated from start to finish. Troy ended the match with 38 kills compared to Alabama State’s 25 kills. Hester led the way with 13 kills of her own, followed by Julia Brooks with seven kills. Alabama State’s Kalysia Brooks had 10 kills during the match. Amara Anderson finished with 29 assists for the Trojans.
The Trojans played Gardner-Webb in the second night of the tournament, and the result was very similar. The Bulldogs kept it close in set three, but Troy pulled away 25-22. Troy only dropped one set out of four and won the match 3-1. Hester continued her streak of dominance by tallying 23 kills against the Bulldogs. Kylee Garrison for Gardner-Webb had 14 kills during the match. Anderson showed out once more with 49 of the Trojans’ 55 total assists against Gardner-Webb.
The third and final match of the tournament for Troy did not end as well as the Trojans would hope. Jacksonville dragged the match to five sets and won the final set 21-19. Troy dropped the last match 3-2, but the stars still shined in their own individual performances. Hester finished with 18 kills against Jacksonville, and Anderson finished with 44 of the Trojans 50 total assists. Haley Hart for Jacksonville had 13 kills throughout the match. Troy finishes the tournament with a 2-1 record making their season record 6-6. Troy volleyball will play host to Louisiana Sept. 22- 23 to open conference play.
