Volleyball Begins Sun Belt Season in Arkansas

TROY, Ala. – Troy is on its way to Arkansas, where the Trojans will open the 2018 Sun Belt volleyball slate against Arkansas State and Little Rock Friday and Saturday, respectively; both games are set for 6:30 p.m.

After closing the non-conference chapter of the season Tuesday night with a dominating win over Alabama State, the Trojans (6-7) are heading right back where their season ended in 2017. Troy upset rival South Alabama before losing to conference tournament host Arkansas State in Jonesboro.

Things should be different this time around, however, as Troy returns with an almost entirely new mentality and confidence level that has somewhat eluded the squad over the past several seasons.

A quick glance at the Sun Belt leaderboards shows Trojans in the top 10 in five of the conference's six statistical categories. In the league, Cheyenne Hayes ranks second in service aces and third in kills, Amara Anderson leads the assists column by 126, Halston Hillier's .352 hitting percentage is the fourth best and Lacey Jeffcoat sits at seventh with 3.60 digs per set.

The Red Wolves (8-5) have been on a roll as of late – winners in each of their last six matches – and have yet to lose at home this season in three matches. Tatum Ticknor and Ellie Watkins have both claimed conference player of the week honors for A-State this season.

Looking at Little Rock (8-5), the conference's other Trojans started the season on a modest five-game winning streak before cooling off in recent weeks. Veronica Marin earned the defensive player of the week award two weeks ago, as she recorded 22 blocks in a single tournament.

Broadcast Information
Stream: none (ASU)
LRTrojans.com ($)
Live Stats: TroyStats.com
Twitter: @TroyTrojansVB

Series History
Arkansas State (8-5)
            Overall: 1-17
            At Jonesboro: 0-9
            Streak: ASU W7
            Last: 2017; ASU won 3-0

Little Rock (8-5)
            Overall: 4-12
            At Little Rock: 1-7
            Streak: Troy W1
            Last: 2017; Troy won, 3-1

Volleyball Begins Sun Belt Season in Arkansas

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Players Mentioned

Amara Anderson

Cheyenne Hayes

Halston Hillier

Lacey Jeffcoat

Troy University Athletics