Ashlynn Axtell breaks out against South Alabama

The Troy volleyball team is currently on a five-match skid following its three-game road trip. While the Troy couldn’t secure any victories against the likes of Ohio State and South Alabama, Ashlynn Axtell served as a bright spot for the team.  

She built on her career seven block outing against Virginia last week with four block assists in Troy’s second match against South Alabama. Axtell currently leads the team with 24 blocks in the season. 

Over the last three-game span, Axtell set four career highs. Three came in the conference opener against South Alabama – racking up 10 points and 10 kills. She also accumulated 21 attacks and two assists. 

Axtell continued her momentum by tying her career high in block assists with four, an effort that helped Troy finish its first match more blocks than their opponent. Over the three-game stretch, Axtell was credited with 26.0 points over a 13-set span – she’s currently fifth on the team with 59.0. The Austin, Texas, native’s attack percentage remained at least .286 during the span. 

"Our team battled really hard again today,” said head coach Josh Lauer. “It was a hard-fought match, with some great volleyball on both sides of the net.  

“This is a match we can definitely grow from.” 

Since conference play kicked off, Axtell is third on the team in kills with 16. She’s fourth on the team in total attacks with 36, while boasting a .333 attack percentage. Overall, the sophomore is fourth on the team with 45 kills. 

Axtell played sparingly as a true freshman last season but impressed in the playing time she got. In two matches and ten sets against Arkansas State, she accumulated six kills. That two-match span also saw her send back three balls each game, moving her season total to six – one match came with three block assists. 

Axtell and the Trojans will have two chances to right the ship and earn their first conference victory during Thursday and Friday’s two-day split – both matches are against Texas State. First serve at Trojan Arena will be at 6 p.m. each day, and admission is free for all regular season home games.