Volleyball Secures Exciting Five-Set Win Over South Alabama

Friday, October 23

Troy, Ala.

6 p.m.

Troy University

13-6,8-2Sun Belt

South Alabama

9-13,4-6Sun Belt

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
South Alabama	25	16	25	20	10	2
Troy	17	25	15	25	15	3

Box Score (PDF)

Photo by: Davis Photography

10/23/2026 10:34:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Josh Lauer Press Conference Ashlynn Axtell & Sophie Ocampo Press Conference

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. — Troy volleyball secured a thrilling five-set (17-25, 25-16, 15-25, 25-20, 15-10) victory over South Alabama on Friday night.

Troy (13-6, 8-2 SBC) delivered a complete team performance in front of returning Trojan alumni

. Four Trojans — Olivia Kwiatkowski, Isa Ruether, Kalina Calvillo, and Ashlynn Axtell — reached double-digit kills, marking just the second time this season Troy has featured four players with 10-plus kills

. The Trojans were equally dominant from the service line, as five players recorded at least one ace, led by Calvillo's match-high four.

Kwiatkowski's impact was felt across the court as the junior standout recorded her first double-double of the season, posting a team-high 14 kills alongside 11 digs

. Defensively, the Trojans stepped up when it mattered most, locking down in the final frame to hold the Jaguars to a -.045 hitting percentage.

South Alabama (9-13, 4-6 SBC) put on another strong defensive display, surpassing its previous season high of 17 blocks set the previous night with 19 total blocks

. Dalayla Blackwell anchored the Jaguars at the net for the second straight match, tallying 13 blocks, including one solo

. Freshman Anabelle Cerny dished out 40 assists, while Eva Dittmar delivered a career-high 20 kills in a hard-fought performance.

Set 1 — Troy 17, South Alabama 25
South Alabama picked up right where it left off defensively, holding Troy to a .059 hitting percentage (8/6/34) in the opening frame

. The Jaguars jumped out to an early 7-2 lead and extended their advantage to 13-8 to force a Trojan timeout

. South Alabama never surrendered control, taking a 1-0 match lead behind a balanced attack that saw three players tally four kills apiece in the set.

Set 2 — Troy 25, South Alabama 16
Troy came out firing in the second frame, putting together one of its best offensive sets of the season. Though tied twice, the Trojans never trailed in the set. Ashlynn Axtell and Kalina Calvillo led the attack with five kills apiece, while Olivia Kwiatkowski and Isa Ruether combined for six errorless kills. As a team, Troy hit an electric .536 (17/2/28) to even the match.

Set 3 — Troy 15, South Alabama 25
The back-and-forth battle continued into the third frame as South Alabama regained control with a dominant defensive effort, highlighted by seven blocks

. The Jaguars stifled the Troy offense, holding the Trojans to a match-low .026 hitting percentage (10/9/39)

. South Alabama never surrendered the lead in the set, putting Troy's back against the wall with a 2-1 match advantage.

Set 4 — Troy 25, South Alabama 20
Facing elimination, Troy returned to its bread and butter in the fourth set, firing six combined service aces from five different Trojans. Troy built a commanding 18-10 lead to force a Jaguar timeout before South Alabama responded with a run to trim the deficit to 19-17, prompting a Trojan timeout. Troy held firm down the stretch, securing the set on a Madison Marx ace to force just the second five-set match of the season for the Trojans.

Set 5 — Troy 15, South Alabama 10
Four ties and three lead changes made for an exciting decisive set

. Troy grabbed an early 6-2 lead to force a South Alabama timeout, but the Jaguars responded with a run to take an 8-7 advantage and prompt a Troy timeout

. Knotted at 10-10 late, the Trojans closed out the match in dominant fashion by rattling off the final five points

. Sophie Ocampo came through in the clutch, logging three of her six total kills during the final frame to secure the victory and put Troy back in the win column.

Quotable — Head Coach Josh Lauer
"Terrific night in Trojan Arena, and just a great Sun Belt volleyball match," Lauer said. "Tonight was Sun Belt volleyball at some of its best. Tonight, our players played with a little bit more intensity and executed better offensively, and I think that was the difference in the match. Just a great night, and I'm very proud of our team's effort to get to that fifth set and by them competing the way that they did."

Notables

Olivia Kwiatkowski recorded her first double-double of the season, and fifth by a Trojan this season.
Kwiatkowski also set a new career-high in attacks with 41.
Josie Hensley matched her career-best in service aces with two in both matches against South Alabama.
Troy secures its first five-set win on the season in its second try.

Up Next
Troy volleyball returns to action next Friday, Oct. 30, as they travel to Jonesboro, Ark. for a weekend series against Arkansas State. Both matches will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+.