After going 11-1 in conference play, Arkansas State volleyball clinched the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) West Division title with a weekend series win against the Troy Trojans.

The first set saw heavy offense as both teams slammed kill after kill into the arena floor. Setter Erin Madigan supported right-side hitter Addison Collum, who led A-State’s offense with six kills in the first set. The Trojans fought back hard but were ultimately outpaced, and the Red Wolves won the first set, 25-23.

Troy’s offense struggled in the second set, putting up nine total kills while racking up seven errors. The Red Wolves capitalized on their shoddy performance as the second set ended in a swift 25-16 A-State victory.

After a devastating set, the Trojans needed a strong start to the third to extend the match. Fortunately for Troy, outside hitter Kalina Calvillo, who leads the SBC in service aces, delivered. Calvillo landed two aces to secure a 5-1 lead, and when A-State started to close the gap, setter Josephine Hensley put up another ace to regain momentum.

Troy used its aces in this set to lead their offense against A-State. Troy leads the SBC in aces, and in this set alone they racked up five. However, in the previous two sets, the Trojans secured only three. Troy also had no service errors in the third set, but had five within the first two.

Although Troy executed well in the third set, causing A-State’s defense to falter, it was a hard strategy to pull off.

While close, Troy ultimately secured the third set 25-23. A-State, however, played a much more consistent game, and a single explosive set from Troy couldn’t shake them.

The fourth set saw a huge shift as the Red Wolves adopted a more defensive style. Unable to break through the pressure, Troy made even more errors. The match ended in a 25-17 A-State victory after Troy defensive specialist Kenzly Foote committed a service error.

While A-State had an incredible performance, Troy’s true defeat came from within. Troy had 27 errors throughout the match, allowing the Red Wolves to take the final set by eight while only securing 12 kills.

The following night, Troy and A-State took to the court once again. Troy started the first set the same way as the previous night, with no aces and six errors. A-State also had a rough start, matching the Trojans in errors. However, A-State’s defense fought back, found kills, and took the set 25-18.

The second set started similarly, but Troy made an explosive push following two service aces. A-State’s defense increased its blocking during the set but couldn’t turn it around, and it ended in a 25-23 Trojan victory.

Outside hitter Devyn Lewis, who had a season-high 22 kills, started the third set by slamming four kills for an early 5-2 lead. As the set progressed, a Trojan ace closed the gap to 8-10. However, a service error followed and the Red Wolves took off again, bringing the score to 9-14. A-State defended their lead well and ended the third set in victory, 25-18.

Troy took the upper hand in the fourth set while the Red Wolves began to struggle with their serves. A-State’s defense faltered, blocking fewer kills than in previous sets. This allowed Troy a narrow 25-23 victory, extending the match.

In the fifth set, middle blocker Calea Bush, who had a career-high 10 blocks, put up a stone defense for the Red Wolves. After three back-to-back blocks from Bush, A-State took a lead they held all the way to a 15-9 win.

A-State’s defense delivered an incredible performance, putting up a season-high 17 blocks in the second match. Additionally, Madigan set new season highs with 54 assists, five kills, and four blocks as she continued to be a crucial, reliable part of A-State’s strategy.

A-State earned the SBC West Division title after a spectacular home performance. Tune in Nov. 6-7 to watch as the Red Wolves hit the road to face Louisiana Tech, the lowest-ranked SBC West team.

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