Troy volleyball begins 2026 action at home

Troy volleyball encourages each other during its match against Southern Miss. Troy Athletics photo

Troy volleyball is set to start its season this Friday with a home match against Mercer at 6 p.m. in Trojan Arena. This is Troy’s first game of the Troy Invitational, which brings Mercer, North Alabama and Alabama State to Trojan Arena for the weekend.

History is on Troy's side this weekend, as Troy holds a combined record of 24-2 against Mercer and Alabama State in previous matchups, with a12-0 record at home. This will be the first time Troy will take on North Alabama at the Division I level. However, no year is the same as the last, especially in the current landscape of collegiate sports.

The Troy Invitational will feature a “Round Robin” format, with two games per day until each team playsevery other team. Alabama State and North Alabama will open the tournament at 2 p.m. on Friday, the first of the day’s two games.

Troy boasts the most kills and aces per set among the teams in the invitational, at 13.0 and 1.9, despite their 10-16 record in 2025. Madison Marx is the only statistical category leader returning for the Trojans, as she led the team in assists as the team’s starting setter. However, Troy returns much of its depth with Olivia Kwiatkowski, Kalina Calvillo and Ashlynn Axtell finding themselves scattered through the team’s top five in kills, aces, digs and blocks.

Mercer volleyball recorded a 10-20 record in 2025, averaging 12.4 kills and 1.5 aces per set. The Bears return their leader in assists and aces, Sammi Bergjans, as setter and their top two middle blockers in blocks and kills, Joselynn Sanjurjo and Avery Wilks.

The Alabama State Hornets volleyball team posted a 14-16 record in 2025 but went 12-4 in the SWAC, tying for second in the conference. The Hornets averaged 12.6 kills and 1.6 aces per set. Kaylen Hines is the only player the Hornets returned from their top five in kills last season, and she also led the team in blocks. They also return their starting setter, Kamrynn Clay, who was second in aces.

The North Alabama volleyball team went 14-16 in 2025, with 12.8 kills and 1.7 aces per set. The Lions show strong continuity, returning the leaders in kills, aces, assists and digs. The highlights are setter Kinslee McGowan, who totaled over 1100 assists and ranked second on the team in aces and digs. Kendall Barnes and Reese Ricketts account for over half the team’s kills as towering outside hitters at 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-2, respectively.

Saturday’s games will start at noon with Alabama State facing Mercer, followed by Troy and North Alabama at 4 p.m. The Troy Invitational will wind down with Mercer and North Alabama facing off at 11 a.m. and Troy and Alabama State at 2 p.m. on Sunday.