Wisconsin and Texas A&M serve as learning experience before conference play
The Trojans took on tough competition on the road to prepare for Sun Belt Conference play, falling against two Power Five opponents.
This past Friday, Troy squared off against perennial powerhouse No. 7 Wisconsin in its first match in front of a massive crowd in Madison.
The Badgers were deadly at the net throughout the match as they registered a .416 hitting percentage and a staggering 12.5 blocks.
The Trojans were outdone in every statistical category as the Badgers cruised to a 25-18, 25-13, 25-14 straight sets victory.
Sun Belt phenom Tori Hester managed to crush 13 kills despite the Troy offensive woes, extending her double-digit kill streak to 31 consecutive matches.
Recent Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week, Amiah Butler, followed close behind with nine kills in the bout against Wisconsin.
Wisconsin natives Janelle Stuempfig and Maleah Howe got a shot to play in their home state. Stuempfig led the match with 12 assists, and Howe registered a kill.
Next, Troy challenged Texas A&M and jumped out to an early lead thanks to some excellent net play. Four of Troy’s five blocks came in the first set, leading to a 25-22 set one victory.
It was Texas A&M the rest of the way as Troy fell 25-14, 25-15, 25-18 to lose 3-1.
Butler recorded 15 kills to lead the team while Hester tallied 13 kills for the second time.
Service specialist Sara Bates notched three aces during the match while Butler added two aces in her outstanding offensive performance.
Head coach Josh Lauer was unfazed by the losses and saw the matches as an excellent tune up for conference play.
“I was proud of our effort and fight today against a very good Texas A&M team,” said Lauer in an interview with Troy Athletics. “We learned a lot this weekend as a team and now all our focus shifts toward conference play.”
Troy will square off against rival South Alabama in a crucial conference opener at Trojan Arena on Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m.
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