The Mountaineer volleyball squad faced Georgia State in a home weekend double header. The Black and Gold lost the first match 3-2 Friday.
App State jumped to an early 5-3 lead due to kills from freshman right side Delanie Grevengoed, freshman right side Ava Leahy and senior outside hitter McCall Denny.
Georgia State jumped out to a 14-10 lead, but was short-lived thanks to a 7-0 run from the Mountaineers that saw three consecutive kills from junior outside hitter Lulu Ambrose and sophomore defensive specialist Kenady Roper.
The Mountaineers won the first set 25-17.
The Black and Gold maintained a steady lead in the second set. Two kills from Grevengoed, and a kill and block from sophomore middle blocker Maya Winterhoff set up a 16-10 lead.
The Panthers closed the defect to 19-17. The Mountaineers responded with kills from Leahy and Grevengoed, along with an ace from redshirt freshman setter Katie Cruise. This strong play and a Georgia State error allowed App State to secure a second set victory, 25-19.
Georgia State took control of the third set. Kills from Grevengoed and Ambrose made the score 15-14 in favor of the Panthers. Georgia State responded with a 5-0 run and won the set 25-17.
The fourth set was close until the end, kills from Denny and blocks from Leahy and junior middle blocker Lauren Pledger shrunk the Panthers lead to 18-17. The match was tied at both 20 and 23, until Georgia State won the set 25-23.
The fifth set saw kills from Denny and Leahy, along with blocks from Pledger and Leahy. Georgia State held a 12-7 lead, until the Black and Gold went on a 3-0 run to make the score 14-12.
This late push was not enough as Georgia State won the set 15-12 and the match 3-2.
The Mountaineers swept Georgia State in the second match on Saturday 3-0.
“I am so proud of our response today,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “We executed at a really high level and our serve and pass game was the difference in this match.”
Georgia State held a 13-10 lead, but App State followed with a 6-0 run that saw kills from Denny and Ambrose. Along with blocks from Winterhoff and Leahy, and an ace from Denny.
This strong play helped the Black and Gold take a 16-13 lead and they did not look back. A kill from Leahy, blocks from Pledger and Ambrose, and back to back kills from Leahy and Ambrose helped the Mountaineers win the first set 25-16.
The second set started with a 8-5 Georgia State lead. Kills from Leahy and Ambrose paired with an ace from Winterhoff helped the Mountaineers go on a 7-0 run, taking a 12-8 lead.
The match then tied at 13. However, App State answered with another 7-0 run to take a 20-13 lead.
Georgia State pulled back within one, 23-22. The Black and Gold won the set due to a kill from Denny and a Panther error. The final score of the second set was 25-22.
Kills from Ambrose and a block from Pledger and Ambrose allowed App State to start with a 12-5 lead in the third set.
The Black and Gold maintained the lead throughout the entire set. A pair of Roper and senior setter Sophie Cain aces, Winterhoff and Denny kills and a block from Winterhoff and Grevengoed extended the Mountaineers lead to 21-12.
Caroline Farthing, a freshman and Boone native, made her first collegiate appearance. The Mountaineers won the set 25-17.
The Mountaineers got into the win column winning the match 3-0, snapping a seven match losing streak.
The Black and Gold will remain at home facing ULM Oct. 13-14. Friday’s game is set for 6 p.m. and is a Friday the 13th night, where fans are encouraged to dress in their best costumes. Saturday’s game is slated for 1 p.m. and will honor the graduating seniors.
