Troy University’s women’s volleyball team is set to host Arkansas State for two Sun Belt Conference matches at Trojan Arena. The games are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, both beginning at 6 p.m. Friday’s match will also feature a recognition of former Trojans as part of Letterwinner’s Day.
The Trojans return home after splitting a series against Louisiana last week. They won the first match in four sets but lost the second. Senior Amiah Butler delivered a standout performance in the opener, recording 29 kills with a .434 hitting percentage. This achievement tied the program record for most kills in a four-set match and marked her fourth double-double of the season.
Arkansas State arrives following two wins over Texas State and currently holds a four-match winning streak. The Red Wolves have an overall record of 13-6 and are 6-2 in conference play. Their recent success includes three consecutive straight-set victories, dropping only two sets during their streak.
In preparation for this week’s matches, Troy faces an opponent it has met 29 times before, trailing Arkansas State 8-21 in the all-time series. Arkansas State features three players with more than 150 kills: Kaitlin Whitlock (211), Deadrianna Cail (190), and Devyn Lewis (180). Erin Madigan leads as setter with 478 assists so far this season. Defensively, Arkansas State ranks seventh nationally in opponent hitting percentage at .146.
Troy ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference and 74th nationally for aces per set, averaging 1.68. Four players have contributed at least 15 aces each this season; Sydney Austin leads with 20 aces while Kalina Calvillo, Sara Bates, and Madison Marx each have 15.
Butler has consistently reached double-digit kills across all 16 matches this year and is projected to finish with a career-high total of approximately 409 kills if her current pace continues. Her average of 4.55 kills per set would be the third highest single-season mark in program history.
Head coach Josh Lauer is now in his ninth season leading Troy volleyball, holding an overall record of 124-125. He is the second-longest serving Division I head coach in Troy’s history behind Sonny Kirkpatrick, who led from 2006 to 2016.
The matches will be available on ESPN+ and live statistics can be found on TroyTrojans.com/livestats.
