Troy University Athletics
Troy University
Jackson State
Troy Opens Home Schedule with Tilt against Jackson State
9/5/2025 9:08:00 AM | Volleyball
TROY, Ala. – Troy volleyball will play in Trojan Arena for the first time this season when it takes on the Jackson State Tigers on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. The match will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+.
Troy heads home after starting the season with three consecutive losses. The Trojans were swept by Auburn on Wednesday night, despite a valiant effort in the second and third sets. Amiah Butler is off to an impressive start to the campaign, ranking second in the Sun Belt in kills (49) and kills per set (4.45).
Jackson State also began the season 0-3, most recently falling in five sets to Southeastern Louisiana. The Tigers visit Auburn on Friday night before traveling to Troy for Saturday afternoon's matchup.
Game Information
The Matchup: vs. Jackson State
When: Saturday, September 6 at 2 p.m.
Where: Troy, Ala. - Trojan Arena
Watch: ESPN+
Stats: TroyTrojans.com/livestats
Leading the Way
Amiah Butler's 49 kills not only rank second in the Sun Belt, but it also marks the most kills the senior has recorded through the first three matches of a season. Butler has finished each match with double-digit kills, including a career high 24 against Samford on August 31.
Stepping Up
Several returning Trojans have stepped into larger roles through the first three matches of the season. Senior Emma Blaine, along with sophomores Ashlynn Axtell, Olivia Kwiatkowski, and Kayla Baetzel, have appeared in every match after seeing limited action a year ago.
Scouting Jackson State
Sixth meeting: Troy leads all-time, 5-0
Jackson State has opened the season 0-3, most recently falling in a five-set match to Southeastern Louisiana. The Tigers' offensive production is fueled by Jayden James and Hope Briggs, who have 36 and 35 kills, respectively. Karys Dove has been a large contributor to the attack, racking up 4.92 assists per set. Jackson State is hitting .142 as a team so far this season. They will visit Auburn for a Friday night match before making the trip to Troy on Saturday.
Notables
• Troy head coach Josh Lauer is in his ninth season at the helm, holding a career record of 120-116. 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).
• 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.
• Troy is 4-4 in home openers under Lauer. Last season the Cardinal and White fell in straight sets to Cal Poly in the first home match of the year.
• The last time the Trojans began a season 0-3 was two years ago in 2023. After opening the year 0-6 and 2-8, Troy began Sun Belt play with 10 straight wins, ultimately finishing 12-4 in conference action.
