Troy University Athletics
Three Trojans Earn All-Conference Honors
11/14/2023 2:54:00 PM | Volleyball
TROY, Ala. – The Sun Belt Conference announced that Tori Hester, Julia Brooks and Janelle Stuempfig earned 2023 All-Sun Belt honors on Tuesday afternoon. This marks the second year that three Trojans have been selected.
For Brooks, this marks the third time to be selected by the conference and her second first-team award. Hester has now received back-to-back first-team nods from the conference, while Stuempfig earned her first second-team accolade.
"It is always exciting to see our players selected to the All-Conference team," head coach Josh Lauer said. "I genuinely believe these are team awards and reflect the hard work that every one of our players puts in daily. Tori, Julia and Janelle do not get to this level without being pushed and supported by the other dedicated players we have on our team. "
Tori Hester – First Team
"Tori continued to show this season that she is one of the elite players in the Sun Belt," Lauer said. "She contributed to every facet of the game at an extremely high level every night. I am also proud of Tori's progress this season as a passer and server. She worked very hard on those aspects of her game this year, which has paid off. She is one of the leaders of our team and I appreciate the other coaches recognizing her as one of the best in the Sun Belt."
Hester has proved to be a vital part of the Trojan offense during the regular season. She tallied 399 kills, averaging 4.11 per set and ranking 29th nationally. Hester averaged 4.76 points per set, which is good for 25th nationally. She finished the regular season with 462 points.
The junior from Salisbury, N.C. set a new career high of 36 kills against Southern Miss and ranks third nationally in kills through five sets. She has recorded 11 double-doubles this season, sparked by 20 consecutive matches – 22 overall – with double-figure kills. Hester was selected once this season as Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week. Her offensive power pushed Troy to reach its best Sun Belt Conference of 12-5 and its longest win streak of 11 matches.
Julia Brooks – First Team
"Julia was left off the pre-season all-conference team in August, so I think she had something to prove to herself and others this season," Lauer said. "Every night, Julia has been the focus of our opponents' scouting reports, and she has put together another tremendous season as a Trojan. I know that Julia is well respected throughout the conference and earning this distinction in her last collegiate season is meaningful to her and our team."
Brooks recorded 258 kills and 307 points in her final season as a Trojan. She recorded nine matches with a .400 hitting clip or better. At the net, Brooks racked-up 82 blocks. She recorded 12 matches with double-digit kills. Brooks ranks eighth in the conference as an individual career leader, tallying 527 sets played, 1409 career kills, and 3,138 attempts with a hitting percentage of .286. Brooks was selected once this season as Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week. In her final season, Brooks became the only Trojan to reach 1,409 kills and 419 blocks.
Janelle Stuempfig – Second Team
"Janelle had a tremendous season and established herself as one of the top setters in the Sun Belt," Lauer said. "She is an outstanding leader for our team physically, mentally and emotionally. She continues to bring out the best in her teammates and I truly believe the best is yet to come for her as a player here at Troy. Janelle has put in a ton of work to be the setter our team needed this year, and I could not be more proud of her."
Stuempfig handed out 999 assists on the season, including a career-high 63 against Southern Miss. During league play, Stuempfig checked in at second in the Sun Belt with 654 assists – 10.55 per set. She tallied a career-high 13 digs against Georgia Southern. She posted five double-doubles on the year. Stuempfig ended the regular season with 66 kills and a .373 hitting percentage. Stuempfig was selected as Sun Belt Setter of the Week three times.
For Brooks, this marks the third time to be selected by the conference and her second first-team award. Hester has now received back-to-back first-team nods from the conference, while Stuempfig earned her first second-team accolade.
"It is always exciting to see our players selected to the All-Conference team," head coach Josh Lauer said. "I genuinely believe these are team awards and reflect the hard work that every one of our players puts in daily. Tori, Julia and Janelle do not get to this level without being pushed and supported by the other dedicated players we have on our team. "
Tori Hester – First Team
"Tori continued to show this season that she is one of the elite players in the Sun Belt," Lauer said. "She contributed to every facet of the game at an extremely high level every night. I am also proud of Tori's progress this season as a passer and server. She worked very hard on those aspects of her game this year, which has paid off. She is one of the leaders of our team and I appreciate the other coaches recognizing her as one of the best in the Sun Belt."
Hester has proved to be a vital part of the Trojan offense during the regular season. She tallied 399 kills, averaging 4.11 per set and ranking 29th nationally. Hester averaged 4.76 points per set, which is good for 25th nationally. She finished the regular season with 462 points.
The junior from Salisbury, N.C. set a new career high of 36 kills against Southern Miss and ranks third nationally in kills through five sets. She has recorded 11 double-doubles this season, sparked by 20 consecutive matches – 22 overall – with double-figure kills. Hester was selected once this season as Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week. Her offensive power pushed Troy to reach its best Sun Belt Conference of 12-5 and its longest win streak of 11 matches.
Julia Brooks – First Team
"Julia was left off the pre-season all-conference team in August, so I think she had something to prove to herself and others this season," Lauer said. "Every night, Julia has been the focus of our opponents' scouting reports, and she has put together another tremendous season as a Trojan. I know that Julia is well respected throughout the conference and earning this distinction in her last collegiate season is meaningful to her and our team."
Brooks recorded 258 kills and 307 points in her final season as a Trojan. She recorded nine matches with a .400 hitting clip or better. At the net, Brooks racked-up 82 blocks. She recorded 12 matches with double-digit kills. Brooks ranks eighth in the conference as an individual career leader, tallying 527 sets played, 1409 career kills, and 3,138 attempts with a hitting percentage of .286. Brooks was selected once this season as Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week. In her final season, Brooks became the only Trojan to reach 1,409 kills and 419 blocks.
Janelle Stuempfig – Second Team
"Janelle had a tremendous season and established herself as one of the top setters in the Sun Belt," Lauer said. "She is an outstanding leader for our team physically, mentally and emotionally. She continues to bring out the best in her teammates and I truly believe the best is yet to come for her as a player here at Troy. Janelle has put in a ton of work to be the setter our team needed this year, and I could not be more proud of her."
Stuempfig handed out 999 assists on the season, including a career-high 63 against Southern Miss. During league play, Stuempfig checked in at second in the Sun Belt with 654 assists – 10.55 per set. She tallied a career-high 13 digs against Georgia Southern. She posted five double-doubles on the year. Stuempfig ended the regular season with 66 kills and a .373 hitting percentage. Stuempfig was selected as Sun Belt Setter of the Week three times.
Players Mentioned
Middle Hitter
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ VolleyballEric Newell Postgame Press Conference (Louisiana Game 3)
Sunday, April 05
Troy vs. Arkansas State - Game 3 (Full Highlights)
Saturday, April 04
Skylar Meade, Steven Meier & Nolan Book Postgame - Arkansas State Game 3
Saturday, April 04
Skylar Meade Postgame - Arkansas State Game 2
Saturday, April 04