It was another tough weekend for the Trojan volleyball team, with a victory against Appalachian State 3-2 on Friday, Sept. 18, and a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Arkansas State on Monday, Sept. 21.
The Trojans took on the Mountaineers at home, looking to end their losing streak. The home team was in command for the first two sets, winning 25-20 in both. App State fought hard, but after losing an important player at the end of the second, it was not able to take the set.
Ready to end the game on a sweep, the Trojans began the third set with an intense start and ties at 7-7 and 10-10. Appalachian State’s game intensified as it gained the lead and took the third set from the Trojans, 25-21.
Appalachian State carried the momentum from winning the previous set and controlled the last two. The fourth set came with a battle from Troy, but the Trojans were not able to come back from their slump. The Mountaineers took control over the last set, securing the 3-2 victory.
Troy ended the game with an attack percentage of only .096 to Appalachian’s .177. Junior middle hitter Leah Causey recorded a team-high 15 kills, and senior outside hitter Blaire Winston was right behind at 14. Defensively, senior defensive specialist Ali Dowdall led with 22 digs.
“It was a good match, but it really stinks to come out on the bottom of it,” head coach Sonny Kirkpatrick said.
The Trojans returned to action on Saturday against Arkansas State, continuing the quest to end their losing streak. Troy again started with high energy, winning the first two sets 25-22 and 26-24.
The Red Wolves came back though, gaining the lead at the start of the third set. They extended their lead as Troy seemed unable to get its momentum going, and they won the third set 25-12.
With Troy desperate for a win and Arkansas State unwilling to relinquish the match, both continued in the fourth set with ferocity. After tying the game eight times in a competitive set, the Red Wolves ran away and won the game 25-18.
In the fifth, Arkansas State took a fast lead, and Troy did not attain a point until 10-1. Troy was unable to get out of that slump and lost its seventh match in a row 2-3.
Junior outside hitter Symone Shaw led the team with 11 kills, and the Trojans only calculated a hitting percentage of .121.
In high hopes, the Trojans will return to the court Friday, Sept. 25 at UALR. Start time is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
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