The ULM volleyball team got close Friday night. Match-point close. But Troy, now 9-0 in conference matches, escaped and won the five-set battle in Fant-Ewing Coliseum on the ULM campus 17-25, 25-13, 20-25, 27-25, 15-4.
 
The Warhawks (4-19 overall, 0-9 Sun Belt) and Troy (11-8, 9-0) battled for more than two hours in ULM's second home series of the 2023 season. In the first set, with the score tied at 6, ULM went on a 7-2 scoring run to take a 13-8 lead. The Warhawks eventually led by seven, 18-11, and Troy could get no closer than five the rest of the set. A kill by Freshman Ariana Brown secured the set for ULM.
 
In set two, Troy jumped to a 7-3 lead. The Trojans later added a 9-2 run to lead by ten and never looked back, cruising to tie the match at one set each.
 
Set three started as a close affair. With the score at 5-5, the Warhawks put together a 7-2 run, but Troy countered with four-straight points to cut the ULM lead to one, 12-11. ULM responded with its own four-point run to lead 16-12. Troy eventually closed to within 21-19, but consecutive kills by Freshman Hannah Redrow, Sophomore Brynn Botkin and Junior Madeline Villarreal brought the Warhawks to set point. A final kill by Junior Logan Jeffus gave ULM the set and a 2-1 lead.
 
The tense fourth set featured 15 ties and eight lead changes. With the score tied at 9, ULM scored six in a row to take a 15-9 lead. The Warhawks led, 18-14, when the Trojans scored six-straight points to take a 20-18 lead. ULM tied it at 20 and eventually took a 24-23 lead, needing one point to win the match. Troy, however, scored two-straight points to retake the lead. A kill by Botkin tied the set back up, but Troy finished the job with two more points to send the match to a fifth set.
 
"They got us in that set," head coach Matt Kearns said. "They were able to change the way they served and got us a few times."
 
The Warhawks seemed to run out of gas in the final set. The Trojans started the set with a 7-1 run and ULM never threatened.
 
"Credit to Troy and the adjustments they made," Kearns said. "I think we played hard and there's plenty to learn from."
 
Botkin and Brown led the Warhawks with 12 and 11 kills respectively. Sophomore setter Bailey Roberson produced 24 assists. Juniors Taylor Thomas and Cameron Rogers led the team in digs with 19 and 18 respectively.
 
The Warhawks return to Fant-Ewing Coliseum tomorrow in game two of the weekend series at 2 p.m.