Volleyball Tops ULM for Third Consecutive Win

Friday, October 9

Troy, Ala.

4 p.m.

Troy University

9-5,4-1Sun Belt

ULM

7-12,1-4Sun Belt

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
ULM	25	21	19	11	1
Troy	22	25	25	25	3

Box Score (PDF)

Volleyball Tops ULM for Third Consecutive Win

10/9/2026 7:25:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Josh Lauer Press Conference Ashlynn Axtell & Brooke Forkum Press Conference

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. — Troy volleyball secured its third straight conference win with a four-set victory (22-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-11) over ULM on Friday.

After a slow start in the opening frame, Troy (9-5, 4-1 SBC) rebounded strongly to dominate the Warhawks the rest of the way

. Ashlynn Axtell continued her steady play, delivering a match-high 13 kills while hitting .478 (13/2/23) alongside a match-best seven blocks.

The Trojans remained effective at the service line, posting eight aces on the night

. Kalina Calvillo and Olivia Kwiatkowski led the way with three apiece, while Brooke Forkum added the remaining two

. Kwiatkowski's trio of aces marks the fourth time in the last five matches that the Oconomowoc, Wis., native has hit that mark

.

Troy's defense continued to shine, holding the Warhawks to a .080 hitting efficiency (34/24/125)

. It marks the fourth time this season the Trojans have held an opponent under .100, joining performances against Mercer (.013), Alabama State (.014), and The Citadel (.063)

.

ULM (7-12, 1-4 SBC) proved why it ranks among the conference's best in blocks per set, as the Warhawks tallied 12 on the night, including five in the opening set

. The duo of Zharia Alleyne and Tatum Clay each notched six blocks to lead the Warhawks' defense

.

Set 1 — Troy 22, ULM 25
The Warhawks set the tone early, grabbing an 8-3 lead in the opening set to prompt a Trojan timeout

. Troy answered back to claim a 19-17 lead late in the set, but ULM ripped off four straight points to regain control and force another Trojan timeout

. Despite five first-set kills from Axtell, Troy was unable to rally again as ULM secured the opening frame

.

Set 2 — Troy 25, ULM 21
Troy turned the tables early in set two, jumping out to a 7-3 advantage

. Although ULM surged ahead 15-14 by the media break, the Trojans took control down the stretch

. Tied 21-21, Troy ripped off four consecutive points, sealed by a Kwiatkowski ace, to even the match

.

Set 3 — Troy 25, ULM 19
After an even 3-3 start in set three, the Cardinal and White went on a 9-3 run to prompt a Warhawk stoppage

. Behind a balanced offense led by Isa Ruether's three kills and two each from five different Trojans, Troy fended off ULM's comeback attempt to claim a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth set

.

Set 4 — Troy 25, ULM 11
Defense powered the Trojans to their third straight win, as they held the Warhawks to a -.133 (4/8/30) attack percentage in the fourth set

. The two teams found themselves tied early at five apiece, but Troy ran away with the set, outscoring ULM 20-6 to secure the victory inside Trojan Arena

.

Quotable — Head Coach Josh Lauer
"Tough, hard-fought win tonight against a really competitive, scrappy ULM team," Lauer said. "[ULM] really brought the fight to us and got us on our heels early on. Our serving kept us in it until our offense got going. Our passing was off balanced at times, but settled in as the match went on, and I thought our team got better and better as [the match] progressed."

Notables

Ashlynn Axtell matched her career-high in kills with 13 which she previously set against The Citadel earlier this season.
Kalina Calvillo tied her career-best in digs with seven.
Troy won its second-consecutive match after losing the first set.
The Trojans continue their streak of 50+ kills in each conference match this season.
With seven home victories at Trojan Arena this season, Troy has surpassed its home win total from last year.

Up Next
Troy volleyball returns to action tomorrow afternoon for the second match of the two-game series against ULM starting at 2 p.m. The match will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+.