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On June 7, the Troy Trojans volleyball squad announced the 2023 schedule, which features a number of matchups with Power 5 schools.

In addition to several tough road matches, Troy will host the Alabama Crimson Tide in the home opener after a brutal road stretch to open the season.

“We are excited about our 2023 schedule,” Troy Coach Josh Lauer said. “It’s extremely competitive and really going to challenge us in the first four weeks of the season, but we feel like this is what our team needs to compete at the highest level in the Sun Belt and be prepared to compete for the Sun Belt Championship in November.”

Troy will kick things off with an exhibition match against Jacksonville State at home on Aug. 15 and then opens the regular season with eight straight road matches, with six of those opponents coming off NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022. Troy opens the stretch at the Cardinal Classic in Louisville, Ky., playing 2022 national runner-up Louisville on Aug. 25, Wright State on Aug. 26 and Washington State on Aug. 27.

Troy then travels to Columbia, S.C., to face Miami (Fla.) on Sept. 2 and South Carolina on Sept. 3 in the Carolina Classic. Next, Troy returns to Kentucky for the Holiday Inn Invitational on the campus of Western Kentucky. Troy plays Western Kentucky and the College of Charleston on Sept. 8 followed by a match with the SEC’s Arkansas on Sept. 9.

Troy finally returns to the friendly confines of Trojan Arena on Sept. 14 for the home opener against the Crimson Tide. This will be Troy and Alabama’s first matchup since the Trojans defeated Alabama in 2021. It’s also the first time that Alabama has made the trip to Troy since 1997.

Troy remains at home for a match against Grambling State on Sept. 15 to wrap up the non-conference slate and then Sun Belt Conference play begins as Troy travels to Louisiana Sept. 21-22. The Trojans host Southern Miss for another conference series Sept. 29-30 and then travel to Marshall Oct. 6-7.

The Trojans host Arkansas State Oct. 13-14 before back-to-back road conference series against ULM Oct. 20-21 and rival South Alabama Oct. 26-27.

The Trojans get the chance to finish up the regular season at home with a series against Texas State Nov. 3-4 and a series with Georgia Southern Nov. 10-11. The Sun Belt Tournament begins Nov. 16 in Foley.

Troy is coming off its second straight postseason appearance and third in the last four years, all of them in the NIVC Tournament, and back-to-back 18-win seasons.