TROY, Ala. — Troy volleyball's hot streak ended 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 11-block effort (two solo).
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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 take the opening set.
Set 2 — Troy 17, South Alabama 25
South Alabama maintained 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 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 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."
Troy volleyball returns to action tomorrow, Oct. 23, as it awaits a rematch with South Alabama beginning at 6 p.m. The match will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+.
