Troy University Athletics
Friday, August 30
Baton Rouge, La.
12 p.m.
Troy University
vs
Maryland
Troy Volleyball Begins 2024 Season at LSU Tournament
8/29/2024 11:49:00 AM | Volleyball
TROY, Ala. – The Troy volleyball team will begin its 2024 campaign in Baton Rouge, La., with a trio of matches at the LSU Tournament. The Trojans will face Maryland and New Hampshire on Friday, and LSU on Saturday.
First serve for Friday's matches are set for 12 p.m. and 5 p.m., while Saturday's contest against LSU is slated for 3 p.m. Live stats will be available for all three games, but only Troy's matchup against LSU will be streamed on SECN+.
Game Information
The Matchup: Maryland | New Hampshire | LSU
When: Friday, 12 p.m. | Friday, 5 p.m. | Saturday, 3 p.m.
Where: Baton Rouge, La. – Pete Maravich Center (13,215)
Watch: SECN+ (LSU match only)
Live Stats: Troystats.com
Return of the Trojans
Troy enters the 2024 season returning 14 of 15 players from the 2023 squad that won a program-best 12 Sun Belt games. The Trojan's lone departure was Julia Brooks, who graduated and is now a graduate assistant for Troy Athletics.
Headlining the returners are senior outside hitter Tori Hester and junior setter Janelle Stuempfig. Both Hester and Stuempfig were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team, while Stuempfig was also named the Sun Belt Preseason Setter of the Year. Stuempfig is the first Trojan to receive an individual preseason honor since Troy joined the Sun Belt in 2004.
Stuempfig recorded a team-best 1,084 assists – good for second in the Sun Belt Conference. Her 10.32 assists per set were also second in the SBC and 42nd in the country. She recorded a career-high 63 assists in Troy's win over Southern Miss last season, and had at least 22 assists in every match she appeared in. She currently sits ninth in program history with 1,120 assists and was named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team in 2023.
Hester led the Trojans in kills last season with 442, an average of 4.21 per set. Her total kills were fourth in the conference and 54th nationally, while her kills per set were second in the SBC and 26th nationally. Hester set a career-high and program record in kills with 36 in Troy's five-set win over Southern Miss on Sept. 30 in Trojan Arena. She recorded double-digit kills in 23 matches and 20-plus kills in six matches. In addition to her lethal hitting, Hester was also the best server on the Troy squad, recording 45 aces on the season. That number was good for third in the conference and 72nd nationally. She tied her career high of six aces against ULM last season, and registered aces in 23 matches, including a 15-match ace streak.
Troy finished the 2023 season as one of six Sun Belt teams in the top 100 in kills per set (13.00). Junior outside hitter Amiah Butler was second on the team last season in kills with 353 and looks poised for another strong campaign in 2024.
Welcome to the Wiregrass
The Trojans welcome five new players to the 2024 squad, which includes four freshman and one transfer.
Jordan Sinness, a setter who spent the previous three seasons at Auburn, transferred to Troy this summer and will look to make an immediate impact for the Trojans. Sinness is the sister of former Troy softball player Jade Sinness.
Freshman hitters Olivia Kwiatkowski, Kalina Calvillo and Ashlynn Axtell, and defensive specialist Kayla Baetzel all begin their collegiate careers in the cardinal this fall.
Scouting Maryland
Troy will face off against Maryland for the first time in program history on Friday. The Terrapins posted a 17-15 (7-13 Big Ten) record in 2023 and were led by senior Sam Csire with 272 kills. Csire is returning for the 2024 season as a fifth-year. As a team, Maryland recorded 1,363 kills on .201 hitting, and averaged 12.0 kills per set. Opponents hit .211 and recorded 1,365 kills for 12.0 a set.
Scouting New Hampshire
Troy will take on New Hampshire for the first time in program history on Friday. The Wildcats finished 2023 with a record of 18-9 (7-3 American East) and went 7-2 in neutral site games. Hannah Serbousek led the way in 2023 with 274 kills on a .178 hitting clip. As a team, New Hampshire recorded 1,234 kills (12.3 k/s) on .205 hitting, while allowing 1,239 kills (12.4 k/s) on .165 hitting.
Scouting LSU
Saturday will mark the third meeting all-time between the Tigers and Trojans. In 2023 LSU went 11-17 (6-12 SEC) and were led by star freshman Jurnee Robinson and her 391 kills. As a team, LSU had 1,290 kills on .232 hitting. Opponents had 1,324 kills on .259 hitting. LSU won the most recent matchup between the two teams 3-0 in 2022 in Baton Rouge. Troy defeated LSU 3-1 at the Samford Invitational in 2021.
Trojan Tidbits
• Josh Lauer enters his eighth season at the helm of Troy and boasts a 107-99 record while leading the Trojans.
• The Trojans finished the 2023 season at 81 in the NCAA's RPI rankings. The Sun Belt had six teams in the top 100 of the final RPI rankings.
• Troy will play seven matches against teams who qualified for the 2023 Division I NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship.
• Troy's 12 Sun Belt wins in 2023 were the most conference wins in program history. Troy won its first 10 conference matches before losing to South Alabama.
• The Trojans were selected to finish second in the West Division in a vote by Sun Belt Head Coaches. Troy received 80 total points, while Texas State was ahead of them with 98 points.
First serve for Friday's matches are set for 12 p.m. and 5 p.m., while Saturday's contest against LSU is slated for 3 p.m. Live stats will be available for all three games, but only Troy's matchup against LSU will be streamed on SECN+.
Game Information
The Matchup: Maryland | New Hampshire | LSU
When: Friday, 12 p.m. | Friday, 5 p.m. | Saturday, 3 p.m.
Where: Baton Rouge, La. – Pete Maravich Center (13,215)
Watch: SECN+ (LSU match only)
Live Stats: Troystats.com
Return of the Trojans
Troy enters the 2024 season returning 14 of 15 players from the 2023 squad that won a program-best 12 Sun Belt games. The Trojan's lone departure was Julia Brooks, who graduated and is now a graduate assistant for Troy Athletics.
Headlining the returners are senior outside hitter Tori Hester and junior setter Janelle Stuempfig. Both Hester and Stuempfig were named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team, while Stuempfig was also named the Sun Belt Preseason Setter of the Year. Stuempfig is the first Trojan to receive an individual preseason honor since Troy joined the Sun Belt in 2004.
Stuempfig recorded a team-best 1,084 assists – good for second in the Sun Belt Conference. Her 10.32 assists per set were also second in the SBC and 42nd in the country. She recorded a career-high 63 assists in Troy's win over Southern Miss last season, and had at least 22 assists in every match she appeared in. She currently sits ninth in program history with 1,120 assists and was named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team in 2023.
Hester led the Trojans in kills last season with 442, an average of 4.21 per set. Her total kills were fourth in the conference and 54th nationally, while her kills per set were second in the SBC and 26th nationally. Hester set a career-high and program record in kills with 36 in Troy's five-set win over Southern Miss on Sept. 30 in Trojan Arena. She recorded double-digit kills in 23 matches and 20-plus kills in six matches. In addition to her lethal hitting, Hester was also the best server on the Troy squad, recording 45 aces on the season. That number was good for third in the conference and 72nd nationally. She tied her career high of six aces against ULM last season, and registered aces in 23 matches, including a 15-match ace streak.
Troy finished the 2023 season as one of six Sun Belt teams in the top 100 in kills per set (13.00). Junior outside hitter Amiah Butler was second on the team last season in kills with 353 and looks poised for another strong campaign in 2024.
Welcome to the Wiregrass
The Trojans welcome five new players to the 2024 squad, which includes four freshman and one transfer.
Jordan Sinness, a setter who spent the previous three seasons at Auburn, transferred to Troy this summer and will look to make an immediate impact for the Trojans. Sinness is the sister of former Troy softball player Jade Sinness.
Freshman hitters Olivia Kwiatkowski, Kalina Calvillo and Ashlynn Axtell, and defensive specialist Kayla Baetzel all begin their collegiate careers in the cardinal this fall.
Scouting Maryland
Troy will face off against Maryland for the first time in program history on Friday. The Terrapins posted a 17-15 (7-13 Big Ten) record in 2023 and were led by senior Sam Csire with 272 kills. Csire is returning for the 2024 season as a fifth-year. As a team, Maryland recorded 1,363 kills on .201 hitting, and averaged 12.0 kills per set. Opponents hit .211 and recorded 1,365 kills for 12.0 a set.
Scouting New Hampshire
Troy will take on New Hampshire for the first time in program history on Friday. The Wildcats finished 2023 with a record of 18-9 (7-3 American East) and went 7-2 in neutral site games. Hannah Serbousek led the way in 2023 with 274 kills on a .178 hitting clip. As a team, New Hampshire recorded 1,234 kills (12.3 k/s) on .205 hitting, while allowing 1,239 kills (12.4 k/s) on .165 hitting.
Scouting LSU
Saturday will mark the third meeting all-time between the Tigers and Trojans. In 2023 LSU went 11-17 (6-12 SEC) and were led by star freshman Jurnee Robinson and her 391 kills. As a team, LSU had 1,290 kills on .232 hitting. Opponents had 1,324 kills on .259 hitting. LSU won the most recent matchup between the two teams 3-0 in 2022 in Baton Rouge. Troy defeated LSU 3-1 at the Samford Invitational in 2021.
Trojan Tidbits
• Josh Lauer enters his eighth season at the helm of Troy and boasts a 107-99 record while leading the Trojans.
• The Trojans finished the 2023 season at 81 in the NCAA's RPI rankings. The Sun Belt had six teams in the top 100 of the final RPI rankings.
• Troy will play seven matches against teams who qualified for the 2023 Division I NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship.
• Troy's 12 Sun Belt wins in 2023 were the most conference wins in program history. Troy won its first 10 conference matches before losing to South Alabama.
• The Trojans were selected to finish second in the West Division in a vote by Sun Belt Head Coaches. Troy received 80 total points, while Texas State was ahead of them with 98 points.
Players Mentioned
Middle Hitter
/ Volleyball
Defensive Specialist
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Outside Hitter
/ Volleyball
Setter
/ Volleyball
Setter
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