Volleyball Drops Tight Clash to FAU in Four Sets

Saturday, September 12

Gainesville, Fla.

1 p.m.

Troy University

2-3,0-0Sun Belt

Florida Atlantic

4-3,0-0American

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Fla. Atlantic	25	25	25	25	3
Troy	22	27	23	15	1

Volleyball Drops Tight Clash to FAU in Four Sets

9/12/2026 3:52:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

By: Troy Athletics Communications

TROY, Ala. — Troy volleyball falls in four sets (22-25, 27-25, 23-25, 15-25) to Florida Atlantic in the first of two matches for the Trojans in the Florida Invite.

Troy (2-3) had three players surpass the 10-kill mark with Kalina Calvillo leading the charge with 15, followed by Ashlynn Axtell with a career-high 12, and Isa Ruether with her second-straight 10 kill performance. The Trojans hit .254 (47/13/134) as a group and had a topped FAU 9-7 in the service ace department.

For FAU (4-3), Maya Van Heyst steadied the Owls' offense with a career-high 58 assists. As a unit, the Owls hit .400 (67/15/130) with three players notching team-high 12 kills.

Set 1 — Troy 22, FAU 25
The opening set featured eight ties and four lead changes in a back-and-forth affair. Troy found themselves down three at the media break, before putting together a short rally to capture a 22-21 edge. FAU responded and took the final four points to grab the first. Kalina Calvillo and Sophie Ocampo both recorded 3 blocks in the first as the Trojans topped the Owls in the block game 4-1.

Set 2 — Troy 27, FAU 25
Troy bounced back in another down-to-the-wire second set. Axtell opened the set strong, notching two of her 12 kills for the Trojans' first points. FAU found some rhythm and put Troy in a 15-9 hole at the media break. The Trojans would not yield and outscored the Owls 9-2 coming out of the break to capture an 18-17 advantage. The two were knotted at 22 apiece and ultimately traded blows until the Trojans broke through as Madison Marx's ace secured the second set win.

Set 3 — Troy 23, FAU 25
The third frame featured more of the same. 11 total ties and three total lead changes occurred in the third set. The two went back-and-forth most of the way, until Troy took a late 21-19 edge. It wouldn't be enough, as the Owls rallied and outscored the Trojans 6-2 to capture another tight set and take a 2-1 lead.

Set 4 — Troy 15, FAU 25
FAU came out strong and scored seven unanswered to open the final set. The Trojans attempted to mount a comeback but were never able to stop the Owls' offense. For the second-straight match, Isa Ruether reached double-digit kills with 10.

Quotable — Head Coach Josh Lauer
"Tough fought match today against a physical FAU team," head coach Josh Lauer said. "We continue to get better each week and grow as a team. We will get ready for another challenge tomorrow against No. 10 Florida. I was proud of our effort today and the direction our team is heading."

Notables

Ashlynn Axtell posted a career-high 12 kills — also the first time she's eclipsed the double-digit kill mark on the season.
Kalina Calvillo maintained her double-digit kill streak with 15 against the Owls and set a new career-high with 46 attacks.
First-year Kenzly Foote has notched a service ace in three consecutive matches.
Josie Hensley recorded a career-high 17 assists.
Three Trojans reached double-digit kills against FAU (Calvillo – 15, Axtell – 12, Ruether – 10)
Olivia Kwiatkowski matched her season-high with 10 digs and tallied a season-high 26 attacks.

Up Next
The Trojans return to action tomorrow afternoon as they take on the No. 10 Florida Gators (6-1) in the second and final day of the Florida Invite beginning at noon. The match will be streamed exclusively on the SECN+.