TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — In front of a rowdy home crowd Friday night, Troy volleyball took down South Alabama, 3-2.

Despite the Jaguars taking the first and third sets, the crowd at Trojan Arena stayed behind the Trojans, which helped the team win the second, fourth and fifth sets. The Trojans said the crowd was electric and helped keep the momentum of the team up during the contest.

“It was super awesome,” said third year middle hitter Ashlynn Axtell. “Everyone was getting involved which I think really helped us get momentum back when we were down.”

“I feel like volleyball’s a momentum game,” said fifth year middle hitter Sophie Ocampo. “I don’t think the crowd realizes how much they can play into the momentum changes, and I think they came clutch.”

The Trojans minimized their errors while increasing their kills compared to the first contest. Four Trojans would have double digit kills, while five would have a service ace on the night. Head coach Josh Lauer said that offensive confidence and aggressiveness is where Troy shines on the court, and he wants the team to remember that.

Lauer: “We’re contining to remind them to be confident in themselves and play aggressive and be on that competitive edge,” Lauer said. “They’re trusting us, they’re trusting each other and they’re trusting themselves.”

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“When they play aggressive offensively, we’re tough. We can compete with anybody in the conference.”

Troy now sits 7-2 in conference, their best record at this point since 2023. Despite that, Lauer believes the Trojans have yet to play their best volleyball but are close to doing so.

“I’ll let you know when we play our best volleyball,” Lauer said. “Hasn’t happened yet, but we’re on that way.”

“Our hope is that that comes about the time we get to Foley. That’s the end goal, and we want to be playing our best volleyball then.”

The Trojans now head into their final three series of the season with a shot at the sun belt tournament in sight. First, Troy heads to Jonesboro to face Arkansas State in a series that could decide the number one team in the West. The series starts Friday at 6 and continues Saturday at 1, with both games streaming live on ESPN+.