BOONE N.C. – The App State volleyball team swept Georgia State, 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-17), in Saturday’s rematch against the Panthers at the Holmes Convocation Center.
“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.”
App State 3, Georgia State 0
Fifth year senior McCall Denny led the team in kills, tallying 11, in addition to nine digs. Redshirt freshman Katie Cruise posted a team-high 18 assists and senior Sophie Cain posted 12. Sophomore Kenady Roper posted 13 digs on the night, while junior Lauren Pledger led the Mountaineers for a second consecutive match in the blocks category, tallying five (two solo, three assists).
App State outpaced the Panthers in the kills category (38-27), aces category (5-1), and assists category (34-26). The Mountaineers and Panthers each had nine blocks apiece.
Back and forth in first set
The two Sun Belt Conference adversaries went point-for-point in the first set until Georgia State gained a 13-10 edge. App State answered with a 6-0 run that included kills from Denny and junior Lulu Ambrose, a block from sophomore Maya Winterhoff/freshman Ava Leahy, and an ace from Denny that put App State up, 16-13. The Mountaineers posted four more unanswered points that included a kill from Leahy, a solo block from Pledger, and a block from Pledger/Ambrose, to jump ahead 20-14. Back-to-back kills from Leahy and Ambrose gave the Mountaineers a 22-15 advantage. Ambrose and Denny slammed down kills to close out the set, 25-16, in favor of the Mountaineers.
Second set features 7-0 runs
In the second set, App State tied things up at five all in another tight start. Georgia State broke the tie with a 3-0 run to lead 8-5, but the Mountaineers went on a 7-0 run to take a 12-8 lead. The run featured a pair of kills from Leahy, a pair of kills from Ambrose, and an ace from Winterhoff. Georgia State tied things up at 13 all, then App State answered with another 7-0 run that put the Mountaineers ahead, 20-13. The second 7-0 run included a solo block from Pledger, a trio of kills from Denny, an ace from McBean, and a block from Pledger/freshman Delanie Grevengoed. Georgia State came within one of App State’s lead (23-22), but a Denny kill and Georgia State error sealed the second set for App State, 25-22.
Third set features Farthing collegiate debut
App State and Georgia State stayed close early in the third set. The Mountaineers broke away with a 6-0 run that included back-to-back kills from Ambrose and a block from Pledger/Ambrose to take a 12-5 lead. The Panthers worked to erase the deficit before App State extended it to 18-9 after a Roper ace, Winterhoff kill, and block from Winterhoff/Grevengoed. A kill from Denny, ace from Cain, and solo block from Winterhoff extended App State’s lead to 21-12. With a 22-13 lead, freshman and Boone native Caroline Farthing made her first collegiate appearance, subbing in for her first collegiate serve. The Panthers tried to chip away at the Mountaineers’ lead, but after a pair of Georgia State errors, App State won the set, 25-17, and the match, 3-0.
