TROY — The Troy volleyball team’s success this season is not with talent alone.

And Thursday night against Vandalia-Butler in MVL action was another example of that.

While it wasn’t perfect in either the first or third sets, Troy ran its record to 17-1 overall and 14-0 in MVL play with a 25-22, 25-12, 25-19 win at the TAC.

And they did it without coach Michelle Owen, who was ill. Her husband Jeff took over the coaching duties.

“The success this teams has is due to chemistry,” Jeff Owen said. “This group has always had a great chemistry, led by the seniors. And you could see that out there.”

Troy had jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the opening set, before falling behind 17-16.

It was still tied 22-22 when, Owen took a timeout.

After Anna Boezi pounded a kill, Andrea Prenger served out the set, with kills by Boezi and Taylor.

“I felt like the first set was crucial,” Owen said. “Because, we came out with a lot of energy. We were able to (get the first set at the end). Andrea Prenger really stepped up at the service line when it was 23-22 to finish off the set. Our serving (missing only seven serves) was on all night.”

The Trojans cruised through the second set.

Taylor stepped to the service line at 10-4.

Six of her next seven serves went unreturned by Butler and Casey Sager added a kill to take the lead to 17-4.

Two more kills by Sager finished off the set.

Troy found itself trailing 12-9 and 15-12 in the third set, before Ellie Fogarty served four straight points, including an ace to make it 17-15.

At 22-19, Morgan Kaiser served out the set with blocks by Sager and Fogarty to finish it.

Owen admits it can be tough to maintain consistence in a conference with a double round-robin (18 matches) when six of the teams have losing records.

“You look at who we schedule non-conference,” Owen said. “Fenwick is always strong. We were up a set on them before an injury (to Brynn Siler). We play Miami East, who has won multiple state titles and Versailles, who is always strong and has won state titles. And Beavercreek is always strong in the GWOC.

“And Tippecanoe is back to where they had been in the past. So, we feel like those non-conference and conference matches give us a good gauge of where we are at as a team.”

Boezi hd 13 kills, Taylor had nine kills and 1 digs and Kaiser had nine kills and eight digs and 11 assists.

Fogarty had 26 assists, Sager added five kills and two blocks, Lauren Rice had eight digs and Prenger had five digs.

Troy returns to action Tuesday, before a big match with Tippecanoe Thursday at home.