FOLEY, Ala. – Two epic five-set thrillers on Saturday that both featured improbable comebacks determined the participants in the championship match of the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Volleyball Tournament.
James Madison and Texas State, the top seeds from the Sun Belt East and West Divisions, respectively, will meet in Sunday’s title tilt, set for 1 p.m. CT at the Foley Events Center. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Both teams found themselves down at critical times in the match before both battling back to punch their tickets to the championship match.
Tickets to Sunday’s finale may be purchased in advance online through the Foley Sports Tourism Box Office. Tickets are sold on a daily basis and are $10 per day for adults and $5 per day for children ages 12 and under. Students of Sun Belt Conference institutions are admitted free with a valid student ID.
Match 11: (1E) James Madison 3, (2W) Troy 2 (Box Score)
James Madison’s Sophie Davis, the 2022 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, turned in a standout performance of 20 kills on .528 hitting with a match-high 10 blocks to lead the Dukes to a 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 26-24, 18-25, 15-12) victory against Troy in the Sun Belt Semifinals.
The two teams split the first two sets of the match. The Dukes (23-4) trailed for most of the third frame and were down 23-21 before scoring five of the next six points to claim a 26-24 victory. Troy won the fourth set and tied the fifth set at 12-all before James Madison scored the final three points of the match for the win.
For James Madison, Miëtte Veldman added 13 kills, nine digs and two service aces. Libero Jaydyn Clemmer charted 17 digs and setter Hannah Roberts recorded 36 assists and five blocks.
Troy (18-12) was led by freshman Amiah Butler’s match-high 22 kills, five digs and two blocks. Tori Hester totaled 18 kills and a match high 18 digs, while Julia Brooks had 12 kills and eight blocks.
The two squads combined for 28 total team blocks with James Madison registering 18 rejections.
Match 12: (1W) Texas State 3, (3W) South Alabama 2 (Box Score)
Texas State senior Janell Fitzgerald, the 2022 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, exploded for 25 kills on .365 hitting and 21 digs to direct the Bobcats to a 3-2 (15-25, 25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 16-14) win against South Alabama in the Sun Belt Semifinals.
Texas State (24-6) dropped the opening set before winning the next two frames by identical 25-19 scores. After the Bobcats led most of the fourth set, South Alabama broke a 22-all tie with three consecutive points to win the stanza. With Texas State trailing 14-12 in the decisive fifth set, the Bobcats rallied to tie the score at 14-14. Fittingly, four consecutive kills by Fitzgerald sealed the victory.
Jada Gardner also recorded a double-double with 19 kills on .318 hitting with 16 digs, while Tessa Marshall notched a match-high six blocks. Emily DeWalt, the 2022 Sun Belt Player of the Year and the Sun Belt’s all-time career assists leader, dished out 58 assists and posted 11 digs.
Texas State out-blocked South Alabama, 11-6, and the Bobcats had 84 digs to the Jaguars’ 70.
Hannah Maddux and Maddie Soboleski each charted 19 kills to lead South Alabama (18-13). Rachel Hickey, the 2022 Sun Belt Libero of the Year, posted a match-high 23 digs. Setter Kailey Keeble dished out 52 assists and came up with 16 digs.
2022 Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Schedule and Results
November 16-20, 2022 | Foley, Ala. | Foley Sports Tourism Complex
First Round – Wednesday, November 16
Match 1 - (6W) Arkansas State 3, (7E) Georgia State 0
Match 2 – (6E) Marshall 3, (7W) ULM 2
Second Round – Thursday, November 17
Match 3 – (6W) Arkansas State 3, (3E) Old Dominion 2
Match 4 – (5E) Georgia Southern 3, (4W) Southern Miss 1
Match 5 – (3W) South Alabama 3, (6E) Marshall 1
Match 6 – (5W) Louisiana 3, (4E) App State 2
Quarterfinals – Friday, November 18
Match 7 – (2W) Troy 3, (6W) Arkansas State 2
Match 8 – (1E) James Madison 3, (5E) Georgia Southern 0
Match 9 – (3W) South Alabama 3, (2E) Coastal Carolina 0
Match 10 – (1W) Texas State 3, (5W) Louisiana 1
Semifinals – Saturday, November 19
Match 11 – (1E) James Madison 3, (2W) Troy 2
Match 12 – (1W) Texas State 3, (3W) South Alabama 2
Championship – Sunday, November 20
Match 13 – 1:00 p.m. CT – (1E) James Madison vs. (1W) Texas State [ESPN+]