Volleyball’s Win Streak Ends at Six-Straight With Loss to South Alabama

Thursday, October 22

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

12-6,7-2Sun Belt

South Alabama

9-12,4-5Sun Belt

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
South Alabama	26	25	13	25	3
Troy	24	17	25	19	1

Box Score (PDF)

2026 10 10 Troy VB vs. ULM Game #2_Chris Davis

Photo by: Davis Photography

10/22/2026 9:40:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Josh Lauer Press Conference

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. — Troy volleyball's hot streak ends at six-straight with a four-set loss (24-26, 17-25, 25-13, 19-25) to South Alabama on Thursday night.

Troy (12-6, 7-2 SBC) was held to a season-low .046 hitting percentage, despite an errorless third set in which the team recorded 10 kills. Sophie Ocampo provided a steady veteran presence throughout the match, putting down eight kills on a .416 clip (8/1/15) alongside six blocks, including one solo rejection.

It was a battle at the net for both teams, with defense dictating the night. Though Troy fell short, the Trojans put up a formidable front row effort with 13 team blocks — highlighted by Ashlynn Axtell's seven blocks, including a pair of solo stops. South Alabama answered with a season-high 17 blocks, led by Dalayla Blackwell's impressive 11-block effort (two solo).

South Alabama (9-12, 4-5 SBC) delivered a strong defensive performance, holding Troy to negative hitting percentages in two different sets

. Despite an errorless third set from the Trojans' offense, the Jaguars' presence at the net forced 33 total attack errors throughout the match.

Set 1 — Troy 24, South Alabama 26
The opening set was a tightly contested battle featuring nine ties and five lead changes

. Troy jumped out to a 13–10 lead to force a South Alabama timeout, but the Jaguars responded to take a 15–14 advantage into the media break

. The back-and-forth action continued late into the frame, where a Jaguar attack error put Troy ahead 23–21

. South Alabama quickly leveled the score at 23 before Troy gained set point, but the Jaguars rallied with three unanswered points to steal the opening set.

Set 2 — Troy 17, South Alabama 25
South Alabama maintained total control in the second frame, never surrendering the lead

. A 15–10 Jaguar advantage at the media break quickly expanded into an 18–10 cushion to force a Troy timeout

. Powered by a six-block performance in the set, South Alabama had the answers for the Trojans' offense, sending Troy into a 2-0 match deficit

.

Set 3 — Troy 25, South Alabama 13
The script flipped in the third set as Troy's offense came alive during a flawless 10-kill, zero-error frame

. The Trojans seized early momentum, forcing a South Alabama timeout after building a 10–5 lead, which they expanded to 19–10 to prompt the Jaguars' second stoppage

. Fueled by six aces and four kills from Kalina Calvillo, Troy comfortably settled into its rhythm to secure the set

.

Set 4 — Troy 19, South Alabama 25
Another fast start for the Trojans faded as an early 4–0 lead quickly vanished, forcing Troy to take a timeout trailing 11–9

. The teams battled closely until South Alabama put together a brief run, prompting Troy's second timeout down 18–14

. The Trojans' late rally ultimately fell short, bringing their six-match winning streak to an end

.

Quotable — Head Coach Josh Lauer
"Awesome crowd tonight, it was a war of attrition out there," Lauer said. "I thought we had better volleyball in the bag, but I thought our team was in the right head space there in the end. We're ready for tomorrow."

Notables

Josie Hensley matched her career-high with a pair of service aces.
Madison Marx tied her career-best with 13 digs.
Isa Ruether tied her career-highs in blocks and block assists with three each.
Troy reached double-digit service aces for the seventh time this season.
The Trojans tied their season-high in blocks with 13.

Up Next
Troy volleyball returns to action tomorrow, Oct. 23, as they await a rematch with South Alabama beginning at 6 p.m. The match will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+.