Conference play is here for Troy volleyball, but it didn’t go so well for the Trojans.
The Trojans took to the road over the weekend to compete against two conference rivals in UT-Arlington and Texas State.
Troy opened up Sun Belt play Friday by losing to UTA 3-1 before getting swept by Texas State on Sunday.
UTA and Troy both looked crisp in the first set, putting up identical stats. The hitting percentage proved to be the difference as UTA posted a .175 percentage compared to .146 put up by the Trojans. Both teams recorded 13 kills, but UTA was able to outlast Troy on a late run to win 25-21.
After losing the first set, the Trojans dominated the second by putting up 18 total kills. Troy’s rebound included a weekend-high .286 hitting percentage that proved to be the difference maker. A late surge by UTA almost produced a comeback, but Troy stayed composed, winning 26-24.
UTA controlled the third set the entire way, putting up a .320 hitting percentage along with only three errors. Troy committed nine errors in the third and did not have under six errors in any set the whole road trip. UTA won soundly 25-15.
This momentum carried over to the fourth set for the Mavericks despite a late surge from Troy. Both teams had double-digit kills, but Troy struggled hitting the ball. UTA closed out the match 25-18. UTA’s three leading scorers combined for 36 kills as they took the win at home.
Freshman Cheyenne Hayes had 11 kills on the day, while sophomores Belle Waldrop and Jenni Young had an impressive performance throwing in 10 apiece. The trio combined for 32 kills on the day. A .127 hitting percentage and 29 errors were the fall of Troy on Friday, despite the team consistently finding ways to put up points.
The Trojans had a day of rest before picking back up against Texas State in San Marcos. Troy struggled mightily against the Bobcats, posting a .075 hitting percentage during the match. Texas State stepped up and hit an unworldly .486 percentage while only committing six errors.
The first set saw Troy play well in the beginning, but Texas State quickly took over, allowing only seven kills and a .036 hitting percentage. Texas State gave out 15 kills to take the set 25-14. This was the second-highest score Troy would post throughout the whole match as they were outscored by 10-plus points each set.
The Bobcats only committed one error in the second, winning it 25-15. The third set saw more of the same with Texas State only committed two errors. The Bobcats registered its second 500-plus hitting percentage performance of the day, defeating Troy 25-12 and taking the match 3-0. Troy was out-blocked by nine in the match.
Young had a productive weekend, posting 18 kills over the two games, as Troy now looks forward to some future home matchups, where they are 3-1 this season.
The Trojans will look to get back on track as they host a pair of Georgia teams this weekend. Troy will open against Georgia Southern on Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m., followed by Georgia State on Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m.
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