Troy University Athletics
Troy University
Georgia
Troy Volleyball Opens 2025 Season at Samford Invitational
8/29/2025 12:00:00 PM | Volleyball
TROY, Ala. – Troy volleyball opens its 2025 season this weekend with a pair of matches in Birmingham at the Samford Invitational. The Trojans will face Georgia on Saturday, Aug. 30, at 4 p.m., before taking on host Samford on Sunday, Aug. 31, at 2 p.m.
Sunday's contest with Samford will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+, with live stats for both matches available at TroyTrojans.com/livestats.
Game Information
The Matchup: Georgia | Samford
When: Saturday, 4 p.m. | Sunday, 2 p.m.
Where: Birmingham, Ala. - Pete Hanna Center
Watch: ESPN+ (Samford match only)
Stats: TroyTrojans.com/livestats
Opening Serve
The Trojans return to the court following a 13-14 overall record last season, which included an 8-8 mark in Sun Belt play. Troy will turn to some key returners to replace the production of the program's all time-leader in kills, Tori Hester.
Senior Amiah Butler figures to be once again a main contributor after another impressive season in 2024. Butler registered 275 kills and was recently named to the preseason All-Sun Belt Team.
Fellow senior Jaci Mesa led the team in digs a year ago with 303 and will be the Trojans' backbone at the libero position.
Sophomore Kalina Calvillo returns for the Cardinal and White after a breakout freshman season, where she finished third on the team in kills with 208.
Other returners include seniors Ella Broadhead and Sara Bates, as well as sophomore Olivia Kwiatkowski. Kwiatkowski was productive in limited action last season, with her freshman campaign shortened due to injury.
Nice to Meet You
The Trojans welcome five freshmen to the team this year. Setters Josie Hensley and Madison Marx, outside hitter Brooke Forkum, middle hitter Lainey Waser, and defensive specialist Brooke Dawson are all entering their first season with the Cardinal and White.
Scouting Georgia
Seventh meeting: Georgia leads all-time, 4-2
Troy will face Georgia for the seventh time in program history. The Bulldogs claimed victory the last time the two teams met in 2022, which also was the first match for the Trojans that season. Prior to that matchup, Troy and Georgia had not met since 1980, when the Trojans earned one of their two all-time wins over the Bulldogs. Georgia will open its season the day before facing the Trojans, on August 29, against host school Samford. The Bulldogs went 12-14 (6-10 SEC) in 2024. They return Brianna Muoneke, who ranked third on the team with 295 kills last season. As a team, Georgia recorded 1,323 kills while hitting .217.
Scouting Samford
34th meeting: Troy leads all-time, 21-12
Troy will face Samford for the first time since 2011, with the Bulldogs having taken the past two matches. Samford will open their season two days prior, also against Georgia. A year ago, Samford went 15-12 (9-7 SoCon). The Bulldogs return Kaleigh Meritt, who led the team in kills last season with 371 (3.64 k/s). Samford registered 1,342 kills overall on .221 hitting in 2024.
Notables
• Troy head coach Josh Lauer enters his ninth season at the helm, holding a career record of 120-113. He is the second-longest tenured Division I head coach in program history, trailing only Sonny Kirkpatrick, who guided the Trojans for 11 seasons (2006-16).
• Lauer served as the associate head coach at Georgia from 2011-16. This weekend will mark the second matchup with the Bulldogs during his tenure at Troy, the first coming in the 2022 season opener, which Georgia won 3-0.
• The Trojans are 15-17 in season openers since joining the Division I ranks in 1993. Under Lauer, Troy is 3-5 in its first match of the season. Seven of those openers have come against power conference opponents, with the Cardinal and White holding a 0-7 record in those contests.
• Troy's non-conference slate features five opponents that finished inside the top 100 of the final 2024 NCAA RPI rankings. In Sun Belt play, the Trojans will face four more programs that met that mark, highlighted by Arkansas State, which posted the highest RPI (45) among Troy's 2025 opponents.
