Category: College

By Katherine Jamtgaard. FOLEY, Ala. — The No. 1 seed App State volleyball team’s Sun Belt Tournament run was cut short in the semifinal round after the Mountaineers fell to the West Division’s No. 2 seed, Texas State, in three sets (18-25, 24-26, 18-25). Saturday marked App State’s first SBC Tournament semifinal appearance since 2018 and the first of the Rumely Noble era.

“I’m beyond proud of our team,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “We played our hearts out and never backed down. It’s a huge step for our program to earn our way into the semifinals and I’m beyond excited for our future.”

Texas State 3, App State 0

Senior Lulu Ambrose led the Mountaineers with 10 kills and three aces. Sophomore Ava Leahy made a team high two blocks, both solo, and recorded seven kills. Graduate student Cierra Huntley and freshman Elise Marchal matched with five kills apiece. Marchal also made 10 digs on the day. Redshirt junior Addison Heidemann accounted for 27 of App State’s 29 assists, while junior Kenady Roper made a team high 11 digs.

App State jumped ahead, 2-0, to start the first set after a Bobcat error and a Leahy kill. After another Bobcat error and a kill from Ambrose, the Mountaineers took a 4-3 edge. Building off a 9-2 run, Texas State took a 12-6 lead. An ace from junior Maya Winterhoff, a kill from Leahy, and a pair of Bobcat errors brought the Mountaineers within three (13-10), but Texas State extended the lead with a 5-0 run. The Black and Gold chipped away at the deficit with kills from Leahy, Ambrose, Marchal, and Winterhoff. The Mountaineers held Texas State to a pair of set points with a kill from Marchal and an Ambrose ace, but it wasn’t enough as the Bobcats sealed the set, 25-18. App State managed to hold Texas State to eight kills in the first set while slamming down 12.

In the second set, App State and Texas State knotted the score 12 times, swapped the lead on five occasions, and matched with 13 kills apiece. Heidemann set Ambrose up for the first kill of the set, and the Mountaineers established a 7-2 lead with a 5-0 run that featured kills from Ambrose and Huntley as well as an Ambrose ace. Texas State answered with a 4-0 run of its own to come within one, but a kill from Huntley kept App State ahead, 8-6. As Texas State took an 11-10 edge, Leahy and Ambrose made kills to push the Black and Gold ahead, 13-11. With a 6-1 run, the Bobcats pulled ahead, 17-14. The Mountaineers managed to meet the Bobcats at 18 all with a kill and ace from Ambrose, a kill from Huntley, and a Texas State error. Texas State pulled away with a 3-0 run, which App State answered with a 3-0 run of its own to match at 21 all. App State reached set point at 24-23 after a kill from Ambrose and a Bobcat error, but Texas State edged ahead with a 3-0 run to take the set, 26-24.

In the third and final set, Texas State took control of the lead with a 5-0 run. App State chipped away at the deficit with kills from Ambrose and Winterhoff and an ace from Roper. Down 10-5, a Huntley kill, a kill and solo block from Leahy, and a pair of Bobcat errors brought App State within three (13-10). A Bobcat service error and a block from the duo of Ambrose and Winterhoff cut the deficit to two at 14-12. Texas State managed to pull away, and despite a kill from Leahy, the Bobcats sealed the set, 25-18, and the match 3-0.

2024 Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Schedule & Results
Nov. 21-24, 2024 | Foley, Ala. | Foley Sports Tourism Complex

First Round Results

(5E) Georgia State 3, (4W) Troy 2
(4E) Coastal Carolina 3, (5W) Southern Miss 1

Quarterfinal Results

(2W) Texas State 3, (3E) James Madison 0
(1E) App State 3, (5E) Georgia State 2
(1W) Arkansas State 3, (4E) Coastal Carolina 2
(2E) Georgia Southern 3, (3W) South Alabama 0

Semifinals – Sat. Nov. 23

(2W) Texas State 3, (1E) App State 0
Match 8 – 6:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. CT) – (1W) Arkansas State vs. (2E) Georgia Southern

Championship – Sun. Nov. 24

Match 9 – 4:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. CT) – (2W) Texas State vs. Winner Match 8

By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — The opening home dual of App State Wrestling’s 2024-25 season featured more significant firsts.

The Mountaineers won two matches and held late leads in two other high-profile battles during a 37-8 loss to No. 19 West Virginia on a cold, snowy Friday that didn’t deter an enthusiastic crowd. It was the debut for a new-look Varsity Gym, highlighted by the unveiling of a C. Philip Byers Scoreboard with video capabilities and a Barker Arena display. Spectators filled new premium bleacher seats on the main floor of Varsity, putting groups of fans on three sides of a new competition mat.

“It was a really awesome atmosphere tonight, and I’m really thankful for our fans and all of App Nation that showed up,” App State head coach JohnMark Bentley said. “It was a great atmosphere to compete in. Obviously, I wish we would have performed a little better, but the venue was awesome.”

Carson Floyd’s overtime takedown gave him a 4-1 decision over Rune Lawrence at 197 pounds, and Kaden Keiser’s 21-5 tech fall of Blake Boyers at 149 pounds produced five team points for the Mountaineers (0-2 with a pair of losses to top-20 opponents).

West Virginia (3-0) earned bonus points in six of its eight wins.

Finishing the first period on top, eighth-ranked Will Miller held a 3-1 lead with 1:41 in riding time entering the third period at 165 pounds against third-ranked Peyton Hall, a two-time All-American. Miller went up 4-1 on an escape early in the third and nearly followed that with a takedown, but Hall prevented a score and produced a tying takedown with 43 seconds left.

With Miller’s riding time falling under a minute, he was unable to record a tiebreaking escape. Instead, Hall put Miller in a compromised position that led to a signal for back points before ending the match by fall with 11 seconds left.

The other dramatic match started the dual, as App State’s Chad Bellis jumped out to a 7-1 lead on No. 25 Jett Strickenberger at 133 pounds thanks to a takedown in both the first and second periods. Strickenberger cut his deficit to 7-5 on a takedown with 1:11 left in the third period and tied the match at 8-all on a takedown with 20 seconds remaining. He forced overtime by staying on top for the remainder of regulation and capped an 11-8 comeback win with a Sudden Victory takedown.

The 2024-25 season is presented by Hungry Howie’s and Penn Station. App State returns to action Dec. 6 at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.

West Virginia 37, App State 8

• 133: #25 Jett Strickenberger (WVU) def. Chad Bellis (APP). 11-8 dec. (SV)
• 141: #11 Jordan Titus (WVU) def. Riley Edwards (APP), 17-2 tech fall
• 149: Kaden Keiser (APP) def. Blake Boyers (WVU), 21-5 tech fall
• 157: Sasha Gavronsky (WVU) def. Jeremiah Price (APP), fall (1:06)
• 165: #3 Peyton Hall (WVU) def. #8 Will Miller (APP), fall (6:49)
• 174: #30 Brody Conley (WVU) def. Luke Uliano (APP), 4-0 dec.
• 184: Dennis Robin (WVU) def. Logan Eller (APP), 14-6 maj. dec.
• 197: Carson Floyd (APP) def. Rune Lawrence (WVU), 4-1 dec. (SV)
• Hwt: #29 Michael Wolfgram (WVU) def. Stephan Monchery (APP), 11-1 maj. dec.
• 125: Jace Schafer (WVU) def. Noah Luna (APP), fall (5:42)

Attendance: 897

By Katherine Jamtgaard. FOLEY, Ala. – The No. 1 seed App State volleyball team opened play in the Sun Belt Tournament with a 3-2 (28-26, 21-25, 25-22, 15-25, 15-8) victory over No. 5 seeded Georgia State in Friday’s quarterfinal round. With the win, the Mountaineers advance to Saturday’s semifinal match against the West Division’s No. 2 seed Texas State. It will mark App State’s first appearance in the semifinal match since the 2018 tournament. Saturday’s match is slated for 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT) and will be available to stream on ESPN+.

“We’re super excited to be advancing to the semifinals after a five-setter. We thrive in five-setters. We’ve done a good job in them all year and today was no different,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “I’m super proud of our team for always finding a way to win. We talk about that all the time, to just find a way. They did that today and that’s what matters when you’re in a championship segment.”

App State 3, Georgia State 2

Junior Maya Winterhoff led the team with 15 kills and recorded a hitting percentage of .313 on the day. Senior Lulu Ambrose and sophomore Ava Leahy matched with 14 kills apiece and hitting percentages of .333. Leahy also led the team in blocks, totaling seven (two solo, five assists). Redshirt junior Addison Heidemann accounted for 54 of the Mountaineers’ 57 assists and junior Kenady Roper tallied a team high 22 digs. Sophomore Caroline Farthing served up three of App State’s nine aces.

The Mountaineers outpaced the Panthers in kills (61-56), aces (9-7), and assists (57-53). The Black and Gold also held the Panthers to three kills in the fifth and final set.

Ambrose opened the first set with a solo block. App State took a 6-2 lead, building off kills from Winterhoff and Leahy and a block from the duo of Heidemann and Leahy. Georgia State managed to catch up and take an 11-10 edge with a 5-0 run. Over the course of the set, the Mountaineers and Panthers knotted the score 14 times. Kills from Winterhoff and Ambrose gave the Mountaineers a 21-20 edge. The Mountaineers reached set point (24-23) after a kill from Marchal and a pair of kills from Leahy. Georgia State managed to knot the score at 24 all. Heidemann set Hutchens up for a kill to push App State ahead, 25-24. As the Panthers knotted the score at 25 all, a Winterhoff kill pushed the Mountaineers ahead, 26-25. GSU managed to knot the score one last time before a kill from Ambrose and a Panther error clinched the set for the Mountaineers, 28-26.

In the second set, the Mountaineers and Panthers knotted the score 12 times and swapped the lead seven times. App State took an early 2-0 lead after a kill from Ambrose and a Winterhoff ace. Another Ambrose kill and a Marchal ace kept App State up, 4-3. As GSU took an 8-6 lead, the Mountaineers answered with a 6-0 run that included kills from Winterhoff, Hutchens, and McNear as well as a block from the duo of Winterhoff and Marchal. GSU found momentum midway through the set to take a 13-12 edge, but a solo block from Winterhoff and a trio of kills from Ambrose pushed App State ahead, 16-15. Despite kills from Leahy and Winterhoff, Georgia State took the set, 25-21.

Winterhoff opened the third set with a kill. The Mountaineers and Panthers tied on six occasions and swapped the lead twice. App State broke a 7-7 tie with a 6-0 run that included back-to-back kills from Leahy, a kill from Hutchens, a block from the duo of Heidemann and Leahy, and an Ambrose ace. As GSU chipped away at the lead, the Mountaineers built off kills from Hutchens and Marchal, a block from the duo of Marchal and Leahy, a block from Leahy and Ambrose, and a solo block from Leahy to take a 22-17 lead. Kills from Leahy and Winterhoff, in addition to a GSU error, sealed the set for the Mountaineers, 25-22.

In the fourth set, App State and Georgia State traded the lead twice. The Mountaineers took an early 5-3 lead after a Marchal kill, back-to-back aces from Farthing, and a GSU error. Georgia State found momentum to take a 20-13 lead despite a quartet of kills from Winterhoff. Leahy and Ambrose slammed down kills, but it wasn’t enough as Georgia State took the set, 25-15.

App State got to work in the fifth and final set, only allowing Georgia State a 2-1 lead. The Mountaineers went on a 7-1 run, building off a trio of Ambrose kills, a block from Marchal and Winterhoff, a GSU error, an Ambrose ace, and a kill from Hutchens. The Black and Gold extended its lead to 13-5 after a kill from Marchal, a block from Leahy and Marchal, and a trio of GSU errors. Heidemann set Leahy up for a kill, which brought the Mountaineers to set point (14-6). Leahy made the final kill to clinch the set 15-8, and the match 3-2.

Scouting Texas State

App State is 1-1 against Texas State in the Sun Belt Tournament. App State and Texas State first met in the semifinal round of the 2015 tournament, where the Mountaineers swept the Bobcats on the road to the championship. The Mountaineers and Bobcats met again in the 2018 SBC Championship. App State fell short the Texas State in three sets.

The Mountaineers and Bobcats last met during the 2021 campaign, but App State fell short in four sets. Texas State leads the series, 8-3.

Ryann Torres was named the 2024 SBC Setter of the Year and earned First Team All-SBC honors alongside Samantha Wunsch and Jade Defraeye. Torres leads the team with 976 assists (10.27 assists per set) while Wunsch leads the team with 373 kills, averaging 3.77 kills per set. Leading the team in the digs category is Alyssa Ortega, who had 409 digs on the season and 4.13 digs per set. Mj Mccurdy has a team-high 24 aces on the fall and Defraeye has a team-high 120 blocks.

Texas State advanced to the semifinal after sweeping No. 3 seeded James Madison in Friday’s morning quarterfinal match. The Bobcats are 20-8 (13-3 SBC) and have won their last nine matches, posting a pair of wins over ULM, Southern Miss, Coastal Carolina, and a trio of wins over JMU. Texas State also posted victories over Louisiana and Troy, in addition to splitting with Arkansas State. The Bobcats have tallied 14 sweeps and three five-set victories this fall.

Looking Ahead

The winner of Saturday’s semifinal match will advance to Sunday’s 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. CT) championship match.

2024 Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Schedule & Results
Nov. 21-24, 2024 | Foley, Ala. | Foley Sports Tourism Complex

First Round Results

(5E) Georgia State 3, (4W) Troy 2
(4E) Coastal Carolina 3, (5W) Southern Miss 1

Quarterfinal Results

(2W) Texas State 3, (3E) James Madison 0
(1E) App State 3, (5E) Georgia State 2
Match 5 – 5:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. CT) – (1W) Arkansas State vs. (4E) Coastal Carolina
Match 6 – 8 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT) – (2E) Georgia Southern vs. (3W) South Alabama

Semifinals – Sat. Nov. 23

Match 7 – 3:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. CT) – (1E) App State vs. (2W) Texas State
Match 8 – 6:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. CT) – Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6

Championship – Sun. Nov. 24

Match 9 – 4:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. CT) – Winner Match 7 vs. Winner Match 8

By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — A career-defining performance from graduate forward CJ Huntley led the Mountaineers over Queens Nov. 19. App State closed out a low-scoring battle with the Royals, winning 65-53, in front of 2,678paid attendance.

Huntley led the way for the Mountaineers with a career-high 27-point performance, while senior guard Myles Tate netted 19 of his own. Huntley and Tate both posted eight rebounds, also leading the team.

Queens had just one player reach double-digit points, freshman guard Asjon Anderson with 13. Senior center Malcolm Wilson used every inch of his seven-foot height on his way to blocking six shots and grabbing 10 rebounds.

The game began with three minutes of no score before Tate found Huntley on an alley-oop, before a deadlock at 4-4 entering the first media timeout. Later in the half, the Mountaineers found themselves trailing their visitors by five, 17-22. App State then went on a 14-2 run to close the opening period, punctuated by a dramatic buzzer-beater by Tate, a three-pointer just before time expired. The 3-pointer gave the Mountaineers a 31-24 lead at the break.

Coming out of the locker room, Huntley drained a three-pointer before App State went on a scoring drought of nearly three minutes. Fortunately for the hosts, Queens was able to make just one shot from the field during that stretch, a three-pointer off the hands of Anderson. Two Tate free-throws and another Anderson three-pointer later, the Mountaineers went on a 6-0 scoring run to extend their lead to 12. With just under four minutes on the clock, Huntley hit on a layup through traffic to secure his career-high in both points and field goals made. The 6-11 forward followed that up with a three-pointer to secure his 27th point of the night.

As a team, App State shot at a 47% mark, topping Queens’ 32% clip. The Mountaineers outrebounded the Royals, 43-39, and forced the visitors to shoot just 6-37 from beyond the arc.

App State head coach Dustin Kerns shared his thoughts on his team’s 65-53 victory postgame.

“Queens is a team that, I think, in three of the last five years have won 30 games,” Kerns said. “They’ve got a really good program, and a program of winning. So, a hard fought, App State kind of ‘grind it out’ win. Really proud of our guys.”

Kerns went on to speak of CJ Huntley’s performance in practice leading to his career night.

“He had a really good week of practice,” Kerns said. “When you talk to your players about the importance of practice and every rep, not taking those things for granted, it pays off. CJ is going to be a perfect example. [It will] be easy for me, when we get back with our team on Thursday (Nov. 21), to say ‘listen, we all know CJ practiced really well, and he played well.’ So, really proud of him.”

The Mountaineers kicked off a stretch of seven straight games in North Carolina with their victory over Queens, including a tournament series in Wilmington. Kerns spoke on the importance of playing in-state games.

“It’s very important for us to play in-state,” Kerns said. “Certainly, we try to. We’ve played a lot of teams in the Carolinas, a lot of teams in this region, so, certainly it’s very important. We’ve got so many passionate fans and alumni.”

Queens drops to 2-3 with the loss. The Royals look ahead to Nov. 23, when they face South Carolina-Upstate at East Tennessee State’s tournament. Tipoff is set for 6:00p.m..

App State improves to 2-2 with their victory. The Mountaineers face William & Mary Nov. 24, where Dustin Kerns looks to become the fourth-fasted Mountaineer head coach to reach 100 career wins. Tipoff at the Holmes Center is slated for 1:00p.m..

By Katherine Jamtgaard. NEW ORLEANS, La. — The App State Volleyball team earned the Sun Belt East Division’s No. 1 seed in the 2024 SBC Volleyball Championship bracket, the league announced on Nov. 16.

As the East’s No. 1 seed, App State enters the tournament in the quarterfinal round on Friday, Nov. 22 (2:30 p.m. ET, 1:30 p.m. CT). The Mountaineers will face the winner of the match between West No. 4 seed Troy and East No. 5 seed Georgia State. App State’s opponent will be determined after Thursday’s 2:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. CT) first-round matchup between the Trojans and the Panthers.

Head coach Sarah Rumely Noble’s squad is the first App State team to earn the East’s No. 1 seed since the conference began divisional seeding in 2020.

Since joining the conference, the Mountaineers and Trojans have met twice in the SBC Tournament. App State swept the Trojans, 3-0, in the quarterfinal round of the 2015 tournament on the way to the SBC championship match. Last season, the No. 6-seeded Mountaineers fell short to the No. 3-seeded Trojans in the second round. App State and Georgia State have yet to meet in the Sun Belt Tournament.

This is the first season that the tournament field will feature only 10 of the Sun Belt’s 14 teams.

Season Review

App State clinched the Sun Belt East Division title for the first time since 2018 and are 17-8 (11-3 SBC) this fall. The Mountaineers went on a seven-match win streak from Oct. 24 to Nov. 14. App State’s conference stretch was highlighted by the program’s first back-to-back victories over James Madison since the Dukes joined the Sun Belt as well as the first pair of wins over Coastal Carolina since the 2018 campaign. Only dropping a match to Old Dominion on Oct. 12 and Georgia State on Oct. 19, the Mountaineers clinched the division title with a 3-0 sweep of Marshall on Nov. 8. The Black and Gold split its final matches with Troy, defeating the Trojans, 3-2, on Nov. 14 before falling short by a 3-1 margin on Nov. 15.

In nonconference action, App State swept Gardner-Webb (Sept. 7) and Winthrop (Sept. 13) and posted five-set victories over Xavier (Aug. 30), ETSU (Sept. 6) and Wofford (Sept. 14).

Individually, redshirt-junior Addison Heidemann garnered a pair of Sun Belt Setter of the Week honors. Heidemann was the first Mountaineer to earn the SBC Setter of the Week distinction since 2019. She first earned the accolade for her performance at the Wake Forest Invitational (Sept. 20-21), where she totaled 93 assists and helped the Mountaineers to a .329 team hitting percentage. She collected her second honor after the Mountaineers clinched the SBC East Division title with a pair of victories over Marshall (Nov. 8-9). Against the Thundering Herd, she totaled 99 assists, averaging 12.38 per set. She also served up three aces, made 11 digs, and went up for one block.

Senior Lulu Ambrose surpassed 1,000 career kills in the Mountaineers’ regular season finale against Troy on Nov. 15. In her time at App State, Ambrose has tallied 1,002 career kills, averaging 2.41 kills per set, in addition to 262 career digs. This season, Ambrose has tallied 265 kills and 104 digs.

Road to the NCAA Championship

The winner of the Sun Belt Volleyball Championship will earn one of 32 automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. The Dec. 1 selection show will announce the remaining 32 teams, selected at-large, that will fill out the field of 64.

The first and second rounds will be held Dec. 5-7 at non-predetermined campus sites. Regionals will be held Dec. 12-15, also at non-predetermined campus sites, and the semifinal and championship rounds will be held Dec.19-22 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

2024 Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Schedule
Nov. 21-24, 2024 | Foley, Ala. | Foley Sports Tourism Complex

First Round – Thurs. Nov. 21

• Match 1 – 2:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. CT) – (4W) Troy vs. (5E) Georgia State
• Match 2 – 5:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. CT) – (4E) Coastal Carolina vs. (5W) Southern Miss

Quarterfinals – Fri. Nov. 22

• Match 3 – 12:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. CT) – (2W) Texas State vs. (3E) James Madison
• Match 4 – 2:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. CT) – (1E) App State vs. Winner Match 1
• Match 5 – 5:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. CT) – (1W) Arkansas State vs. Winner Match 2
• Match 6 – 8 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT) – (2E) Georgia Southern vs. (3W) South Alabama

Semifinals – Sat. Nov. 23

• Match 7 – 3:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. CT) – Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4
• Match 8 – 6:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. CT) – Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6

Championship – Sun. Nov. 24

• Match 9 – 4:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. CT) – Winner Match 7 vs. Winner Match 8

By Katherine Jamtgaard. ROCK HILL, S.C. — App State redshirt senior Calbert Guest and senior Lauren Johnston set the pace for the Mountaineers in the men’s 10K and women’s 6K, respectively, at the NCAA Cross Country Southeast Regional in Rock Hill, S.C. on Thursday.

In the men’s 10K, Guest led the charge for the Mountaineers, recording a time of 31:17.1 to finish 44th out of 235 competitors.

“I’m incredibly proud of the group we had racing today and the team as a whole,” said Guest. “The year brought a variety of challenges, but I’m thankful for the dedication and resilience the team has shown. It’s been an honor to represent App State for the last four years and I’m encouraged for the future of this team.”

Junior Ethan Lipham stopped the clock at 31:42.5 to finish 69th. In his first appearance at the regional meet, freshman Thomas Wlazlowski recorded a 10K personal best of 32:10.6 to place 84th. Graduate student Ethan Turner rounded out the top-100 with a personal best time of 32:21.9 and freshman Henry Stark posted a personal best of 32:24.0 to finish 104th.

The men’s team placed 14th out of 33 teams with a score of 396.

“Today was a learning opportunity. The group we raced today brought good effort.” said men’s distance coach Brad Herbster.

Senior Lauren Johnston was the first Mountaineer to cross the finish line in the women’s 6K, recording a time of 21:50.7 to place 53rd out of 248 runners.

“This season we overcame so much adversity and all had to work that much harder to get to where we are today,” said Johnston. “I couldn’t be more proud of my team for showing up and giving it their all. Each one of us really stepped up a lot this season, showcasing our strength and resilience from winning conference and making a mark at regionals. I am especially grateful to end my final cross country season with such an amazing team. I can’t wait to take this momentum into the indoor track and field season.”

Fellow senior Jasmine Donohue stopped the clock at 22:22.7 to finish 88th. Seniors Emma Russum and Lana Farris rounded out the top-100 with times of 22:27.5 and 22:35.4, respectively. Freshman Breanna Budzinski rounded out App State’s scoring five, stopping the clock at 22:47.5 to finish 112th in her first NCAA Southeast Regional appearance.

In the women’s 6K, App State finished 16th out of 34 teams with 425 points. App State last finished 16th in the team standings in 2015.

“The NCAA Southeast Regionals today marked the end of a great season,” said women’s distance coach Annie Richards. “The women have been consistent and brought a positive and resilient attitude week after week. I look forward to seeing how their work transfers over into the upcoming indoor track & field season.”

Virginia Tech’s George Couttie took the individual title in the men’s 10K with a time of 29:41.7. In the team standings, Virginia and North Carolina placed first and second, respectively, to advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Madison, Wis. on Nov. 23.

NC State’s Grace Hartman clinched the crown in the women’s 6K with a time of 20:04.2 and led the Wolfpack to a first-place team finish and automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. Virginia placed second in the team standings, also earning automatic qualification to the championship meet.

By Jacob Plecker. MADISON, Wisc. — In the program’s first trip to Wisconsin since Dec. 2002, the App State Mountaineers (1-2) fell 87-56 against traditional Big Ten power Wisconsin (3-0) at the Kohl Center on Sunday.

The 31-point loss was App State’s largest loss against a high-major opponent in the Kerns era since falling by 41 against the tenth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers in 2020.

App State got off to a hot start against the Badgers, leading by as many as nine points in the first half but a 24-0 run from Wisconsin helped them come from behind to take the lead. The Badgers never looked back, going in front by as many as 34 points in the game.

Despite the outcome, Jackson Threadgill and CJ Huntley both eclipsed double figures. Threadgill’s 11 points marked his first double-digit point outing as a Mountaineer. Jalil Beaubrun returned from a one-game absence and made his second Mountaineer start against the Badgers, tallying nine points and grabbing five rebounds.

The Mountaineer bench played well again on Sunday, scoring 18 points. App State has scored at least 15 bench points in every game this season. Overall, nine Mountaineers scored in the game.

How it Happened

App State’s first ever game against Wisconsin saw the Mountaineers start well as Beaubrun scored the game’s first points off a turn-around hook shot in the paint. The Badgers tallied their first points to tie it, but Threadgill answered from behind the 3-point arc to give the Mountaineers a 5-2 lead with 17 minutes remaining in the half.

Strong play defensively helped the Mountaineers claim a six-point lead by the 14:40 mark as the Badgers missed two of their first five shots. Five straight points from Myles Tate and an alley-oop slam by CJ Huntley kept App State in front by six before Anthony Alston’s three extended the lead to nine by the under-12 timeout.

Another Threadgill basket kept the lead at nine, but Wisconsin was able to compose itself and go on a run to close the gap. Makes by Badgers Nolan Winter and Stephen Crowl tied the game by the under-eight timeout and the Badger crowd of more than 14,000 started to get loud.

Wisconsin continued to apply pressure on the Mountaineer offense, forcing five turnovers and nine straight misses to claim a lead of seven points by the 6:09 mark. The Badgers tallied 11 points off 13 Mountaineer turnovers in the first half.

A three-pointer from Huntley finally ended the large Badger run but Wisconsin used a 24-0 run to take a 32-17 lead with three minutes to play in the opening frame. When the first-half horn sounded, the Badgers led by 16 points.

Five different Mountaineers tallied a basket in the first half with Huntley, Threadgill and Tate leading the charge with five apiece. App State shot it well from the three-point line in the opening half, nailing four of its 11 attempts.

Beaubrun opened the second half with a free throw to start his strong second-half outing and closed the gap to 15. The Mountaineers buried their first two shot attempts out of the halftime break.

But the Badgers pushed their lead to 19 by the 17:24 mark as Stephen Crowl tallied his point No. 15 of the game. A John Tonje driving layup bumped the App State deficit to 20 by the first media timeout.

Alonzo Dodd and Luke Wilson provided a second-half spark to shrink the deficit. Dodd made a tough floater over Crowl before Wilson powered home a ferocious two-handed dunk.

After a Beaubrun layup with 11 minutes to play, Wisconsin took control once again, scoring nine straight points to take a 30-point lead by the under-eight break. A Threadgill floater ended the scoring drought as he tallied four straight points before the timeout.

Wisconsin’s Jack Robison3-pointer with 12 seconds to play gave the Badgers their largest lead of the game at 34, but App State’s Jason Clarke Jr. countered with his first collegiate three, the shot rattling home before the buzzer to give Wisconsin a 31-point win.

Top Performers

Two players reached double-figures for the Mountaineers in the game in CJ Huntley and Jackson Threadgill. Huntley’s 13 points led the team as he shot it well, hitting four of his seven shots and three three-pointers. Threadgill also shot it well, nailing 11 points on 5-8 shooting. Beaubrun’s one-game absence didn’t bother him much as he recorded nine points on the night.

Next up for App State, the Mountaineers will host Queens University on Nov. 19, with tipoff slated for 6:30 p.m. at the Holmes Center.

By David Rogers. CONWAY, S.C. — When everything else is pretty equal in football, the outcome often comes down to turnovers. That was certainly the case on Nov. 7 when Coastal Carolina defeated Appalachian State, 38-24.

When all was said and done, it wasn’t that App State could not move the football. They just moved the football too many times with self-inflicted wounds. Three turnovers, a lost fumble and two pass interceptions, were converted into 17 points by the host Chanticleers, who won by 14.

The time of possession was nearly identical, with App State having the ball 29:15, Coastal Carolina for 30:45. The Mountaineers edged the Chanticleers in total yards. 376-353.

But as they have done too many times this season, once again the Mountaineers dug a hole for themselves, starting with the defense giving up a touchdown to CCU on their 7-play opening drive that covered 68 yards and took more than four minutes off the clock.

It looked like the App State offense would storm right back and make amends for the lackluster defensive performance when quarterback Joey Aguilar opened with 12- and 15-yard keepers, then handed the ball off to running back Ahmani Marshall for three consecutive runs that gashed the Chanticleer defense for another 12 yards. On first down from the Coastal 36, a Mountaineer TD looked all but inevitable when Aguilar hit Makai Jackson crossing to the left side, gathering the ball in at the 14-yard line and advancing it 10 more yards before being brought down at the Chanticleer 4-yard line.

But this is where the Mountaineers’ night of post-Halloween turnover horrors began. Under pressure from an untouched linebacker, Clev Lubin, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Iowa Western Community College, Aguilar was technically sacked for a 21-yard loss and lost control of the football for a fumble before being able to get a pass off, the ball fluttering to the teal-hued turf. It was nearly a “scoop and scoot” by Coastal’s defensive lineman Naejaun Barber, but the redshirt junior transfer from South Carolina State could not keep his balance and sprawled to the ground.

However pretty the fumble recovery wasn’t for the Chanticleers, it returned possession to the home team’s Ethan Vasko-led offense — and the redshirt sophomore from Chesapeake, Va. by way of the University of Kansas didn’t waste much time in capitalizing with a 6-play, 68-yard TD drive that consumed another 3:28 of time off the clock.

Suddenly, App State was down, 14-0, and the visitors’ fate seemed all but sealed when Aguilar & Co. could only move the ball 32 yards in four plays before coughing up a first interception. The ball was thrown slightly behind Jackson, bounced off his awkwardly outstretched hands and into the arms of Courtney Eubanks, CCU’s graduate student defensive back who transferred from FCS powerhouse North Dakota State after his junior year.

The Mountaineer defense was able to hold Vasko’s offense to a field goal, but the visitors were looking at a 17-0 deficit just three plays into the second quarter.

App State made the scoring deficit manageable going into halftime, 17-10, thanks to 38-yard field goal and a 10-play, 77-yard TD drive, while the defense produced a couple of three-and-outs, but things hardly improved in the second half.

The Mountaineers got the football to start the third quarter, but could do nothing with it, punting the ball back to Coastal Carolina after just three plays.

The Chanticleers seemed to take command with a couple of TDs that served as bookends for App State’s second pass interception, another Aguilar pass that got tipped in the air on tight coverage by defensive back Matthew McDoom, pulled in by A J Williams and returned to the App State 1-yard line. An initial QB keeper by Vasko was ruled to have been stopped short of the goal line, but the 6-3, 220 lb. quarterback did his best imitation of the “tush push” to slide into the end zone on the next play.

With the Chanticleers up 31-10 and the game clock soon to turn the page into the fourth quarter, App State’s hopes for their fifth win of the season were dimming.

The Mountaineers did manage a 12-play, 75 yard drive early in the final stanza, but it also took almost five minutes off the game clock. The two Sun Belt Conference rivals traded touchdowns in the finals minutes, App State moving the ball 75 yards in four plays, highlighted by a 25-yard TD reception by Kaedin Robinson, but with only 1:40 left on the clock and down by 14 points. Vasko ran one play, then went into victory formation to run out the clock and seal the win for Coastal Carolina.

With App State moving to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in Sun Belt play, and Coastal Carolina at 5-4 overall and 2-3 in conference, it appears that 2024 will be the first year one or the other of them will not be in the Sun Belt title game since the conference split into its East and West divisions, in 2018. The Mountaineers represented the East Division in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023, Coastal Carolina in 2020.

POSTGAME NOTES, compliments of App State Strategic Communications

• Coastal Carolina snapped App State’s two game-win streak. At 4-5 overall, the Mountaineers will need to win their final two games to earn bowl eligibility and avoid their first losing season since 2013 (their last year in the FCS).
• App State lost the turnover battle (3-0) for the seventh time in the last eight games.
• App State holds an all-time series lead of 7-4 against Coastal Carolina, but the Chanticleers have won four of the last five meetings, including three straight in Conway.
• Elijah Mc-Cantos started at nickelback to earn a starting nod for the first time as a Mountaineer.

OFFENSE

• Ahmani Marshall rushed a career-high 28 times for a season-high 124 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a team-high six catches for 36 yards. It was his third straight 100-yard rushing effort and the fourth of his career. His 2-yard touchdown with 3:07 left in the second quarter cut the Mountaineers’ deficit to one score at 17-10. His 2-yard score at the beginning of the fourth quarter turned a three-score deficit back to a two-score deficit at 31-17.
• Joey Aguilar passed for 226 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions, while running for 30 net yards (95 gained, 65 lost).
• Kaedin Robinson, who led the Mountaineers in receiving yards (76) for the ninth time in nine games, caught his second touchdown of the season on a 25-yard pass from Aguilar for the game’s final score.
• Robinson has caught a pass in 34 consecutive games, which ranks top 15 among all FBS players. He entered the game ranked 10th nationally and first in the Sun Belt in receiving yards per game.
• Makai Jackson had a big first half with two catches for 71 yards.

DEFENSE

• App State’s defense held Coastal Carolina to just 353 total yards and 150 passing yards, but multiple turnovers by the Mountaineer offense gave the Chanticleers a short field.
• Brendan Harrington had a season-high 10 tackles and 1.5 TFLs for his second consecutive season-best game.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Jackson Moore got App State on the board with a 38-yard field goal to make it 17-3 with 10:23 left in the second quarter. He is now 4-of-6 on field goals since taking over for injured starter and team captain Michael Hughes.

Selected game stats made possible and distribute by Coastal Carolina University and StatBroadcast.

SCORING SUMMARY

TEAM STATS

INDIVIDUAL STATS

DEFENSE

DRIVES (by Team)

DRIVES (Chronological)

 

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By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — An electric Holmes Center atmosphere greeted tiny St. Andrews University’s men’s basketball team on Nov. 6, as the NAIA-level (small school) Knights prepared to take on an NCAA Division I opponent in Appalachian State. With an undergraduate enrollment of just over 700 students competing against a school in App State with 21,000-plus students enrolled, the outcome was pretty much as expected for the 2024-25 early season: the Mountaineers rolled over the Knights, 108-54. It was David vs. Goliath, with Goliath winning.

Fifteen Mountaineers saw valuable court time on the night and all 15 put at least one point on the board. The Mountaineers were led by freshman Michael Marcus, Jr., coming off the bench to record the game’s only double-double, 18 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes of play.

App State led from the start, a 3-pointer from the left side by guard Jamil Muttilib in the first 14 seconds setting the tone. Grad student returnee C J Huntley scored the next seven points before a pair of free throws by junior guard Alonzo Dodd expanded the lead to 12-0 before the visiting Knights could find the bucket.

The Mountaineers’ scoring barrage continued, leading 35-12 at the halfway point of the first half when center Luke Wilson slammed home a thundering dunk. By halftime, with the Mountaineers filtering in second and third tier replacements, the Knights heard the halftime buzzer sound with App State holding a commanding, 55-27 lead.

Crisp passing, old fashioned hustle, and a punishing defense were the Mountaineers’ calling cards on this night, with a pointed effort to work the ball inside the paint and take advantage of their height advantage. While the Knights never quit working, it mattered little who was on the floor representing App State. More than half (68 points) of App State’s end-of-game total came from the bench.

App State will be hoping the winning lessons from their game vs. St. Andrews rub off as they prepare for their next opponent, Wisconsin, on Sunday, Nov. 10, with a 12 noon tipoff.

SELECTED TEAM STATS

• Field goal %: APP 57, SA 29
• 3-point FG%: APP 40, SA 16
• Free Throws: APP 20-of-31 (65%), SA 10-of-15 (67%)
• Turnovers: APP 6, SA 9
• Total Rebounds: APP 57, SA 31
• Fast Break Points: APP 19, SA 2
• Points in Paint: APP 58, SA 26
• Bench Points: APP 68, SA 39
• Blocks: APP 13, SA 6
• Steals: APP 7, SA 5
• Assists: APP 23, SA 6

KEY PERFORMERS

• APP – Michael Marcus, Jr.: 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
• APP – C J Huntley: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block
• APP – Ben Ezeagu: 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks
• APP – Myles Tate: 3 points, 9 steals
• APP – Luke Wilson: 6 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks
• APP – Jamil Muttilib: 10 points, 3 blocks
• SA – Pries Williams: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks
• SA – Mate Escamilla: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal