Troy University Athletics
Volleyball Advances to Sun Belt Quarterfinals with Win over Marshall
11/20/2025 7:43:00 PM | Volleyball
FOLEY, Ala. – Behind a career-high five service aces from Olivia Kwiatkowski, the Troy volleyball team stormed past Marshall 3-1 (16-25, 25-20, 27-25, 25-13) Thursday night to advance to the Sun Belt Championship quarterfinals against east No. 1 seed James Madison.
After dropping the first set, the Trojans (10-15, 8-9 SBC) snapped back to win three straight sets over the Thundering Herd (15-15, 7-10 SBC) and seal their first Sun Belt Championship win since 2023.
Kwiatkowki's five aces were the most for Troy in a four-set match since 2022, and Troy poured in four more to reach a total of nine service aces. Three Trojans reached double-digit kills – Amiah Butler had 16, and both Kwiatkowski and Kalina Calvillo contributed 11.
Set 1 – Marshall 25, TROY 16
Although set one started out close, Marshall ended the set on a 12-3 run to start out strong. The Trojans were blocked six times in the opening frame, but Kwiatkowski had three aces in the set. Calvillo led the Trojans in kills with four.
Set 2 – TROY 25, Marshall 20
Troy snatched all the momentum in a back-and-forth set two marked by 12 ties and six lead changes. It was the Trojans' best set by hitting percentage, as their .333 mark was the highest of either team the whole match. After being down 15-14, Troy used a 5-0 run to take control of the set. Butler recovered from a shaky first set with six kills, and Kwiatkowski logged five of her own.
Set 3 – TROY 27, Marshall 25
In set three, Troy leaped out to a 10-6 lead early and was just one point away from winning at 24-19. However, Marshall clawed back into the set with a 6-0 run to take a 25-24 lead. A skip-set kill by Madison Marx and two Thundering Herd attack errors iced the frame for Troy. Kwiatkowski recorded five kills in the set and gave the Trojans a decisive lead, overcoming seven more blocks from Marshall.
Set 4 – TROY 25, Marshall 13
With the momentum completely in their favor, the Trojans closed the match out hitting .320 and recording six service aces. Troy rocketed to an 8-2 lead to start the set and didn't look back. Kwiatkowski's fifth ace ended the match and eliminated Marshall from the Sun Belt Championship.
Quotable – Head Coach Josh Lauer
"Just an incredible team effort and win tonight. Marshall is a great representative of the gritty competitive volleyball in the Sun Belt and we have a lot of respect for their program. Tonight, Olivia and Jaci really kept us composed and in the match early and that gave us space and time for Amiah, Kalina and Sydney to get into the match. Down the stretch, our serve and pass game really shined and was the difference in the match. We will enjoy this one tonight for sure and then get ready for what we know is going to be a tough, gritty and competitive game against the best team in the conference James Madison tomorrow."
Notables
Up Next
The Trojans gear up to face east No. 1 seed JMU (20-8, 13-3 SBC) at 4:30 p.m. CT Friday in the quarterfinals. The Dukes are ranked No. 46 in the NCAA volleyball RPI, but enter on a two-match losing streak after being swept by Texas State to end the regular season.
After dropping the first set, the Trojans (10-15, 8-9 SBC) snapped back to win three straight sets over the Thundering Herd (15-15, 7-10 SBC) and seal their first Sun Belt Championship win since 2023.
Kwiatkowki's five aces were the most for Troy in a four-set match since 2022, and Troy poured in four more to reach a total of nine service aces. Three Trojans reached double-digit kills – Amiah Butler had 16, and both Kwiatkowski and Kalina Calvillo contributed 11.
Set 1 – Marshall 25, TROY 16
Although set one started out close, Marshall ended the set on a 12-3 run to start out strong. The Trojans were blocked six times in the opening frame, but Kwiatkowski had three aces in the set. Calvillo led the Trojans in kills with four.
Set 2 – TROY 25, Marshall 20
Troy snatched all the momentum in a back-and-forth set two marked by 12 ties and six lead changes. It was the Trojans' best set by hitting percentage, as their .333 mark was the highest of either team the whole match. After being down 15-14, Troy used a 5-0 run to take control of the set. Butler recovered from a shaky first set with six kills, and Kwiatkowski logged five of her own.
Set 3 – TROY 27, Marshall 25
In set three, Troy leaped out to a 10-6 lead early and was just one point away from winning at 24-19. However, Marshall clawed back into the set with a 6-0 run to take a 25-24 lead. A skip-set kill by Madison Marx and two Thundering Herd attack errors iced the frame for Troy. Kwiatkowski recorded five kills in the set and gave the Trojans a decisive lead, overcoming seven more blocks from Marshall.
Set 4 – TROY 25, Marshall 13
With the momentum completely in their favor, the Trojans closed the match out hitting .320 and recording six service aces. Troy rocketed to an 8-2 lead to start the set and didn't look back. Kwiatkowski's fifth ace ended the match and eliminated Marshall from the Sun Belt Championship.
Quotable – Head Coach Josh Lauer
"Just an incredible team effort and win tonight. Marshall is a great representative of the gritty competitive volleyball in the Sun Belt and we have a lot of respect for their program. Tonight, Olivia and Jaci really kept us composed and in the match early and that gave us space and time for Amiah, Kalina and Sydney to get into the match. Down the stretch, our serve and pass game really shined and was the difference in the match. We will enjoy this one tonight for sure and then get ready for what we know is going to be a tough, gritty and competitive game against the best team in the conference James Madison tomorrow."
Notables
- Troy now holds a 6-0 all-time record against Marshall
- The Trojans are 7-8 in Sun Belt Championship matches under head coach Josh Lauer
- Olivia Kwiatkowski's career-high five service aces are tied for fourth all-time in a four-set match, and were the most in a four-set match by a Trojan since Sara Bates had six against Gardner-Webb on Sept. 16, 2022
- Amiah Butler earned her eighth double-double of the season with a 16 kill, 11 dig performance
- With 22 assists and 11 digs, Madison Marx earned the seventh double-double of her freshman campaign
Up Next
The Trojans gear up to face east No. 1 seed JMU (20-8, 13-3 SBC) at 4:30 p.m. CT Friday in the quarterfinals. The Dukes are ranked No. 46 in the NCAA volleyball RPI, but enter on a two-match losing streak after being swept by Texas State to end the regular season.
Players Mentioned
Outside Hitter
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Outside Hitter
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Outside Hitter
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Outside Hitter
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