*Editors note: A previous version of this story had the title spelt “weeked instead of weekend.” We fixed the mistake.
Game one vs. Texas State. Friday at 6:30 p.m.
The App State volleyball game on Friday was a hard one to swallow for Appalachian fans and players. The Mountaineers (6-11, 1-2 Sun Belt) took on Texas State (10-7, 2-1 Sun Belt) at home as Texas State won in three straight sets, making it only the third time the Mountaineers were swept this season.
App kept it close the entirety of the game, even holding a lead of three or more in every set. This however was the theme of the game for the Apps: lost leads.
They couldn’t seem to hold on to the leads, giving them up in the end, losing 25-21 in all three sets. In what head coach Matt Ginipro explained after the game as the “Red Zone”, defined as the point in a set where one team has over 20 points, App couldn’t find a way to close out the sets, eventually allowing Texas State to come back and win the sets outright.
“We just were not good in the redzone,” Ginipro said. This being evident in the 25-21 set scores. “Our statistics just plummet when we get into the redzone.”
There wasn’t a talent gap between the two teams. There were equal runs between the two teams as they went back and forth throughout the sets, with Texas State being able to pull through in the final points of each set.
“I think we’re better than what we’re playing… we’re not consistent with following the game plan,” Ginipro said.
Freshman Lexi Kohut led the team with 12 kills in the game, playing especially well in the first two sets, and senior setter Ashlyn Brown played well with 32 assists on the night. Senior Courtney Sullivan also had a good game, having nine kills and adding in a block.
“There was just a misconnection on defense and with the hitting tonight,” Kohut said. “It’s on me to get others on the same level.”
The inability to keep leads in the sets was the dagger for the Mountaineers. The Mountaineers will be able to get back on track next week as they take on Georgia Southern on Friday.
Story By: Aman Hyrams, Intern Sports Reporter
Game two vs. UT Arlington. Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
The Appalachian State Mountaineer volleyball team (6-12, 1-3 Sun Belt) took on the University of Texas at Arlington Mavericks (7-9, 2-3 Sun Belt) at the Holmes Convocation Center, looking for their first win at home this season. Unfortunately, the Mountaineers came out flat and lost three straight sets (25-20, 25-15, 25-15) to a Mavericks team that came ready to play.
The opening set of the match proved to be the closest with App leading the Mavs in total attempts by five. App and UTA traded points for the lead at beginning of the set, but App eventually fell behind 5-2 after a 4-0 run by the Mavericks.
Momentum swung in the Mountaineers’ favor late in the first set, answering with a handful of kills of their own and a 4-0 run to even the score at 10, forcing UTA to take their only time out of the day. Despite their best efforts, App State would lose this set by a score of 25-20.
App took an early 1-0 lead over UTA thanks to a kill by freshman Lexi Kohut in the second, but that was the only bright spot in the second set as App couldn’t keep it together and trailed the remainder of the set. Following a series of kills by the Mavs, App lost the second set 25-15.
Entering the third set, things were eerily similar to the second, minus the early lead. Senior Cassidy Stephenson and sophomore Amanda Krahl attempted to shorten the lead, but to no avail. App fell yet again to the Mavericks 25-15, and are still searching for their first home win.
“We struggled on the left side. Going into the second set we only got three kills from our entire left side. Grace Morrison had five all by herself,” head coach Matt Ginipro said. “We aren’t scoring from that side and we didn’t follow our game plan.”
App State looks to find their first home win of the season next week against conference foe Georgia Southern on Oct. 8.
Story By: Garrett Wold, Intern Sports Reporter
Photos By: Halle Keighton, Photo Editor