Arkansas State University’s volleyball team (15-8, 11-1 Sun Belt) clinched the Sun Belt West Division title on Saturday afternoon with a 3-2 victory over Troy (13-8, 8-4 SBC) in a closely fought match at First National Bank Arena. The Red Wolves triumphed by set scores of 25-18, 23-25, 25-18, 23-25, and 15-9, marking a critical win in the team’s conference campaign.
Calea Bush delivered a career-defining performance with her first-ever double-double, contributing 11 kills on a .500 attack percentage along with a career-high 10 blocks, including four solo efforts. Her defensive effort helped push Arkansas State to a season-best total of 17 blocks. Devyn Lewis led the offensive charge with 22 kills, while Erin Madigan tallied 54 assists, the seventh-highest total this season by a Sun Belt player in a five-set match. Libero Mia Maloney anchored the defense with a team-high 18 digs, and five Red Wolves players recorded double-digit digs in the match. As a team, A-State produced 66 kills on a .240 attack percentage, added 78 digs, and recorded four service aces.
In the opening set, Arkansas State overcame an early 4-1 deficit and surged ahead following strong plays by Madigan and Bush. The Red Wolves capitalized on errors by Troy and ended the set with a block by Bush and Collum to secure a 1-0 lead. The second set, however, went to Troy, who managed to fend off a late rally from Arkansas State and evened the match at one set apiece.
The third set saw Arkansas State regain momentum. Lewis delivered several key kills during a decisive 4-0 run that solidified the lead. Despite a brief Troy comeback, Arkansas State closed out the set 25-18, powered by another strong defensive sequence from Bush.
In the fourth set, Troy capitalized on early momentum and maintained a narrow lead until late in the frame. Arkansas State fought back to tie the set at 22-22 with help from Whitlock and Bush, but Troy strung together timely points to force a decisive fifth set.
The Red Wolves dominated the final set, with Bush and Collum combining for blocks early to establish a lead. Bush added key kills and blocks to keep Arkansas State ahead, and the match ended on back-to-back kills by Lewis, clinching the Red Wolves' division title.
Arkansas State will travel to Ruston, Louisiana, for a weekend series against Louisiana Tech on Nov. 6 and 7. The Friday match will start at 6 p.m., and the Saturday match is set for 1 p.m., with both available for streaming on ESPN+. The team will return home for its regular-season finale against James Madison on Nov. 13 and 14.