Troy Downs App State; Clinches No. 2 Seed in Sun Belt East

Friday, November 6

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

8-4,8-4Sun Belt

Appalachian State

1-9,1-9Sun Belt

App State

Troy

Troy Downs App State; Clinches No. 2 Seed in Sun Belt East

11/6/2020 10:04:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. – Troy clinched the No. 2 seed in the Sun Belt East Division with a four-set victory over App State Friday night in Trojan Arena. The Trojans came from behind in both the third and fourth sets to down the Mountaineers, 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-23, 25-22).

The second-place finish ties the highest conference finish since Troy (8-4, 8-4 SBC) joined the Sun Belt in 2005 (also finished second in 2012). Troy remains unbeaten at home in 2020 with the win over the Mountaineers (1-9, 1-9 SBC) and improved its record to 21-1 inside Trojan Arena over the past two seasons.

As a squad, Troy recorded 14 total blocks which ties for the fourth most in a four-set match in program history. Caitlin Cooper made her presence felt at the net with nine total blocks, the second-most in in school history (four-set match).

Cooper added 10 kills on .529 hitting while Halston Hillier posted her third consecutive game with double-digit kills with 12 on the night. Sophomore Julia Brooks recorded a team-high 15 kills in the victory.

Amara Anderson impressed once again at the helm of Troy's offensive attack with 45 assists. Lacey Jeffcoat anchored the defensive effort with 23 digs, her seventh 20-dig match of the season. Isabella Mitchell also had a solid outing in the back row with 11 digs and an ace.

"It was another gritty team win tonight," head Coach Josh Lauer said. "We really fed off the energy from the crowd, our student groups really created a lot of energy in the building. We challenged our middles to be aggressive and really take control of the net tonight and I think they did that."

Set One
App State opened the match with a 3-1 advantage before a Brooks kill highlighted a 3-0 Troy run that gave the Trojans a 5-4 lead. A 7-2 spurt that featured kills from Hillier, Anderson and Cheyenne Hayes gave Troy a 15-11 advantage entering the media timeout. The Mountaineers used a service ace to draw within one at 20-19 before the Trojans used kills from Hillier and Brooks to take a 23-20 lead. Another kill from Brooks and a hard-hit ball from Ashley Guenveur sealed the 25-22 opening set victory for the Trojans.

Set Two
A Hillier kill got the Trojans on the board first, but App State would answer with eight of the next 11 to take a quick 8-4 lead. A kill from Cooper, an ace from Anderson, another block from Cooper and a Mountaineer attack error eventually tied the action at 9-9. Following the first called timeout of the set, App State scored the next two points to take an 11-9 lead, but Troy responded with three-straight points highlighted by another block from Cooper and Hillier and a service ace from Hayes. The Mountaineers went on to open up a 20-14 lead en route to tying the match at one set apiece, 25-20.

Set Three
App State raced out to an early 5-1 advantage, but the Trojans quickly answered with back-to-back kills from Brooks. The Mountaineers took a six-point lead at 12-6 to force the first Trojan timeout of the set. Troy claimed four of the next five points to close the gap at 13-10, before the two sides split the next four points. Troy then used a decisive 8-2 outburst to take a 19-17 lead to prompt a Mountaineer timeout. App State and Troy would split the next eight points, giving the Trojans a 23-21 advantage before a timely kill by Hillier brought the Trojans to set point. App State threatened and pulled within one at 24-23 before Brooks' tenth kill of the match iced the set, 25-23.

Set Four
Similar to the third set, App State raced out to an early 3-0 lead, but three-straight points from Hillier tied the set at three. App State scored eight of the next 11 to go in front 11-7. The Mountaineers led by as many as six at 18-12, but Troy used an 8-0 run behind strong serving from Natalie Hummel to take a late lead. The Trojans found themselves with a one-point lead at 23-22 before a kill from Cooper and an ace from Jeffcoat ended the match with a 25-22 set four victory.

Notable

Troy improved to 6-9 all time and 5-3 at home against Appalachian State. The Trojans improve to 21-1 inside the friendly confines of Trojan Arena over the last two seasons.
Troy clinched a second-place finish in the Sun Belt East Division which ties the highest conference finish since 2012.
The win marks the first time in the Lauer era Troy has beaten the Mountaineers twice in the same season.
Caitlin Cooper's nine total blocks were the second-most in a four-set match in school history.
With 23 digs on the night, Lacey Jeffcoat moved into seventh place on Troy's all-time digs list with 1,163 career digs.

Up Next
Troy will look for the series sweep over Appalachian State Saturday at 1 p.m. in Trojan Arena.