Category: College

By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — The App State volleyball team rose to 13-4 on the season (4-2 SBC) after completing a weekend sweep against Old Dominion (3-14, 0-6 SBC) with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-23) victory on Saturday. The Pink Day victory was punctuated by a career best performance from sophomore Bella Hutchens, who slammed down 20 kills on a clip of .645.

“This was an emotional weekend matched with an emotional fight to get two wins in Holmes,” said head coach Chad Sutton. “This team continues to find ways to get it done. I’m very proud of the team’s effort and continuing the fight. Go App.”

App State 3, Old Dominion 0

Hutchens and senior Maya Winterhoff combined for 30 of App State’s 49 kills against the Monarchs. Winterhoff, who reached 1,000 career kills in Friday’s 3-2 victory against ODU, contributed 10 kills with a hitting percentage of .400 in Saturday’s sweep. She also made four blocks, including the Mountaineers’ sole solo block of the day. Redshirt senior Addison Heidemann registered her fifth double-double of the season (16th career) with 33 of App State’s 40 assists and 11 digs. Additionally, Heidemann helped the Mountaineers to a team hitting percentage of .303. Sophomore MeMe Davis led the Mountaineers with 17 digs and senior Ali Morris also made double-figure digs on the afternoon with 10. The Black and Gold outpaced the Monarchs in kills (49-39), assists (40-35), and blocks (6-2).

Over the course of the first set, the Mountaineers and Monarchs tied on eight occasions and swapped the lead four times. Additionally, Hutchens accounted for 10 of App State’s 18 kills in the first set alone. The Mountaineers jumped to an early 5-0 lead as Hutchens slammed down three kills, Winterhoff contributed a kill, and the duo of Morris and Winterhoff went up for a block. The Monarchs managed to catch up to the Mountaineers and take a 14-10 lead, but App State steadily chipped away at the deficit to tie things up at 16 all. The Black and Gold built off kills from senior Keionna Mackey and Hutchens, an ace from Heidemann, and a pair of ODU errors. After ODU took a late 21-20 edge, kills from Winterhoff and Mackey pushed the Mountaineers ahead, 23-21. Heidemann set Hutchens up for a pair of kills to secure the set, 25-23, for App State.

Much like the first set, App State and Old Dominion knotted the score eight times, but traded the lead on five occasions in the second set. Down 5-2, Winterhoff went to work, slamming down a trio of kills and going up for a block alongside Morris to push the Mountaineers ahead, 6-5. With a 5-1 run that featured kills from sophomore Lou Johnson, Hutchens, redshirt freshman Maddie Smith, and Heidemann, App State took an 18-16 lead. The Mountaineers maintained their lead with a pair of kills from Winterhoff and an ace from Morris (21-18). Hutchens capped the set with three more kills for the Mountaineers, 25-21, despite ODU’s late efforts to narrow the deficit.

In the third and final set, App State jumped to an early 5-2 lead, building off a pair of ODU errors, a pair of kills from Hutchens, and a kill from Morris. ODU managed to close the gap, meeting the Mountaineers at 7-7. Over the course of the set, the Mountaineers and Monarchs fought through 12 ties. With a  4-0 run that included kills from Morris and Winterhoff, Winterhoff’s solo block, and an ace from freshman Bella Dafforn, App State pushed ahead, 15-12. The Monarchs chipped away at the deficit and managed to take a 21-17 lead with a 6-1 run. The Mountaineers answered with a 5-0 run of their own, building off a block from the duo junior Maria Contreras and Johnson, a pair of Mackey kills, a kill from Hutchens, and an ODU error (22-21). Heidemann set Hutchens up for a kill to break a 22 all tie. App State won the set, 25-23, and the match, 3-0, after a pair of Old Dominion errors.

Looking Ahead

The Mountaineers will hit the road for their next four matches. App State will challenge Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga. on Oct. 16 and 17 before taking on Coastal Carolina on Oct. 24 and 25 in Conway, S.C.

By Layne McNary. Mt. Pleasant, Mich. — The App State field hockey team took down MAC opponent Central Michigan 4-0 on Oct. 10.

Sophia Baxter, Samantha Connors and Kate Richardson all found the back of the cage in the contest, with all goals coming in the second half.

Lise Boekaar had a historic day, tallying her 32nd career assist on the game-winning goal from Connors, moving her atop the all-time list in App State history.

How it Happened

1st Quarter: The Mountaineers (9-3, 4-1 MAC) controlled a majority of possession in the opening period, tallying one shot on goal and a penalty corner, but failed to find the back of the cage.

2nd Quarter: App State turned up the intensity in the second, tallying seven shots on goal and six penalty corners in the period. The Mountaineers outshot Central Michigan (7-5, 2-3 MAC) nine to one but could not find the back of the cage, going into the halftime break tied at zero.

3rd Quarter: The Mountaineers broke the scoreless draw early out of the halftime break, with Connors scoring her first goal of the season off Boekaar’s pass. Richardson shortly followed, scoring her first goal of the game and fourth of the season, assisted by Kassie Paul. App State outshot Central Michigan seven to zero, earning two corners in the period.

4th Quarter: It was more of the same for the Mountaineers to close out the game, adding two more goals to the total. Richardson scored her second of the game early in the fourth, assisted by Bridget Donovan for her fifth goal of the season. Baxter scored her ninth of the season to push the Mountaineer lead to four in the team’s third shutout of the season.

Up Next

The Mountaineers will stay in Michigan to take on Michigan State on Sunday. First touch at Ralph Young Field in East Lansing, Mich. is slated for noon, streaming on Big Ten Network.

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — App State earned a point at home against East Division leader James Madison, with a 1-1 draw at The Valley on Oct. 5.

Olivia Simon put the Mountaineers (5-5-3, 1-2-3 Sun Belt) on the board in the fourth minute, finishing a feed from Kyli Switalski for her second goal of the season.

The advantage was short-lived, as the Dukes (6-3-5, 2-1-3) equalized in the 24th minute when Jordan Yang buried a shot off an assist from Jamie Swartz.

Both defenses held firm the rest of the way. Goalkeeper Hanna Skogsfors anchored the Mountaineers with four saves, including a pair in the final 10 minutes to preserve the draw.

App State generated seven shots, with Izzi Wood, Simon and Reagan Sturgill each testing James Madison keeper Lili White, who finished with three saves. Wood was turned away on a prime opportunity in the opening minutes of the match.

Simon, Sydney Snowden, Aleesia Ambrosio and Maddie Williams played all 90 minutes for App State.

App State has earned a point in each of their last three matches and the team will look to continue its success on the road next Saturday when the Mountaineers visit ULM at 8 p.m. ET.

By Layne McNary. BOONE, N.C. — The App State field hockey team fell to No. 6 Liberty, 7-1, on Sunday.

Hadley Kuzmicky scored the lone goal for the Mountaineers (8-3, 3-1 MAC), tallying her seventh goal of the season.

How it Happened

1st Quarter: Liberty (9-1, 3-0 Big East) got on the board first, taking the lead eight minutes into the contest. Goalkeeper Claire Grenis also tallied one save in the period, keeping the Mountaineers within one score heading into the second.

2nd Quarter: Liberty found the back of the cage twice in the period, extending the lead. Kuzmicky scored in the final moments of the first half to put the Mountaineers on the board, with Grenis netting another save in the period.

3rd Quarter: Liberty tallied two more goals in the period, extending the lead to four. The Mountaineers earned one penalty corner but could not convert a goal from the set piece.

4th Quarter: The Mountaineers earned another penalty corner and took two shots early in the period. Liberty scored twice more to close out the game.

Match Notes

Goals: App State: Kuzmicky (1) | Liberty: Combrinck (1), Gaillard (5), Semmartin (1)

Assists: App State: N/A | Liberty: Combrinck (1), Giacosa (1), Pollock (1), Prieri (1), Richard (1), Santana (1), Semmartin (1), Tomasi (1)

Winning Goalie: Diane Saint Martin (9-1, 3-0 Big East) — 0 saves, 1 goal allowed
Losing Goalie: Claire Grenis (8-3, 3-1 MAC) — 3 saves, 7 goals allowed

Up Next

The Mountaineers will hit the road for the next two games, taking on MAC opponent Central Michigan on Friday, Oct. 10, at 1 p.m., and Michigan State on Sunday, Oct. 12, at noon.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was a long, cross-country trip for the Oregon State Beavers football team. It might have felt even longer on their return.

In one sense, App State flipped the script on Oct. 4 in defeating Oregon State, 27-23, in front of a sold out crowd at Kidd Brewer Stadium — which stayed jam-packed to the triumphant, if nail biting end.

Three turnovers by the visiting Beavers proved their undoing against the Mountaineers, offsetting an otherwise strong performance. Oregon State won the time of possession battle, 31:30 vs. 28:30. Importantly, the Beavers rolled up 456 yards of total offense, compared to 354 for new starting quarterback J.J. Kohl’s Mountaineers. Kohl is the fourth QB used by App State in the still young, 2025 season.

But as App State and its fans well know, turnovers are hard to overcome. They nearly cost the Mountaineers the game at home against FCS upstart Lindenwood (Sept. 6) and they proved pivotal in the loss against Southern Miss (Sept. 13) where the Mountaineers committed three turnovers inside the red zone.

A turnover-free afternoon against the men from Corvallis, Ore., though, was only part of App State’s story with this win. Although the Mountaineer defense seemed porous vs. the Oregon State offense for most of the second half, they were near impenetrable — and opportunistic — in crunch time.

Down 27-23 and knowing another touchdown would likely seal the deal for the visitors, with 43 seconds remaining and in possession of the ball at the App State 29 yard and 2nd-and-1, the Mountaineer defense held. The stopped the Beavers again on 3rd-and-1 — but the nail biting last few seconds were just beginning.

On 4th-and-1, Oregon State quarterback Maalik Murphy passed short right, incomplete, a pass that appeared to be uncatchable. But App State defensive back Elijah McCantos was flagged for pass interference, giving the Beavers new life at the 25-yard line, and a 1st-and-10 with 29 seconds remaining.

With the crowd chanting, no roaring back and forth, APP — STATE, APP — STATE, Murphy dropped back to pass but was sacked for a loss of 13 yards by junior defensive lineman Rondo Porter, App State’s first sack on the day.

So on second and 23 from the Mountaineer 38, with 26 seconds showing on the clock, Murphy dropped back to pass, under pressure. His pass short left was on target to the Beavers’s star wide receiver Trent Walker, who finished with a game–high 179 yards receiving on 13 catches, but the ball, briefly hauled in by Walker, was dislodged on a thunderous hit by freshman defensive back Juan Berchal. The ball popped into the air and was juggled for a moment by DB Zyeir Gamble, but the redshirt sophomore from Sumter, S.C. gathered it in and returned the INT nine yards, effectively ending the game and sealing the win for App State.

The end-of-game excitement almost overshadowed the debut of two redshirt sophomore performers for the App State offense in 6-7, 245 lb. quarterback from Ankeny, Iowa, J.J. Kohl, and 6-4 wide receiver Davion Dozier, a native of Moody, Ala. The duo are new arrivals in Boone, transfers from Iowa State and Arkansas, respectively.

Kohl managed the offense effectively, completing 13-of-28 passes for 218 yards and one TD with no interceptions. He also scored a TD on a 6-yard keeper through the middle in the first half.

Dozier was making his Kidd Brewer debut and made it a good one, including four catches for 140 yards and a TD.

Now 3-2, the Mountaineers will look to capitalize on the momentum when the travel to Atlanta, Oct. 11 (3:30 p.m. kickoff), for a second Sun Belt Conference game, this one against Georgia State. The Panthers are 1-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play after an Oct. 4 loss to James Madison, 14-7.

SELECTED GAME STATS

 

 

 

BONUS PHOTOS (Coming soon)

 

 

By David Rogers. BOISE, Idaho (remote) — At least Appalachian State didn’t commit turnovers in the red zone during its game against Mountain West Conference frontrunner, Boise State, on Sept. 27 (like it did on Sept. 13, at Southern Miss.). And yet, there were still  plenty of self-inflicted wounds to help explain a lopsided, 47-14 win by the host Broncos.

Four turnovers (three pass interceptions and a lost fumble) and 11 drive-killing penalties (94 yards) killed any kind of forward offensive momentum the Mountaineers might have mustered.

In a word, the Mountaineers were outmatched in all three phases of the football game. Boise State jumped out to a 21-0 lead by midway through the second quarter, a tally that included a 26-yard “pick six” interception and return for a TD by senior cornerback A’Marion McCoy for the Broncos’ second score in the first quarter. App State quarterback A J Swann’s short pass to the right flat was intended for WR William Fowles, but McCoy read the play perfectly and dashed in front of Fowles for a clean INT and untouched dash to the end zone.

Whether on offense or defense, applying pressure is a relevant difference maker in just about any sport, especially in football. The Broncos limited App State’s offense to just 174 total yards, well below the 586 total yards the Mountaineers rolled up in the opening win vs. Charlotte, the 503 total yards in the win No. 2 vs. Lindenwood, and even the 470 yards gained in the loss to Southern Miss. Besides the four takeaways (one fumble and three pass interceptions), Boise State also recorded five quarterback sacks, five QB “hurries,” and five tackles for loss.

On offense, the Broncos both applied pressure and defused most of the attempts by App State in applying pressure. Behind a stalwart offensive line, Boise State’s junior QB Maddux Madsen had plenty of time for most of the evening, completing 25 of 37 pass attempts for 321 yards and four TDs. He was sacked by App State’s defense just once.

Although App State running back Rashod Dubinion rushed for 133 yards on 17 carries — his third performance in which he passed the century mark in the first four games of the season (he was held to 95 yards at Southern Miss) — the Mountaineers netted only 109 yards on the ground after subtracting QB sacks and tackles for loss, -21 yards for starting QB A J Swann and – 6 yards for 4th quarter replacement Billy Wiles.

App State will attempt returning to its winning ways on Saturday, Oct. 4, when the Mountaineers host a former “Power 5” opponent in Oregon State, competing in the reconfigured Pac-12. The Beavers are one of the two remaining members (the other being Washington State) from the previous Pac-12, which saw a mass exodus of members last year to what are now considered “Power 4” conferences (SEC, ACC, Big 10 and Big 12).

Oregon State is 0-4 to start the season, including two close losses to Houston (Sept. 26, 27-24, in overtime) and Fresno State (Sept. 6, 36-27), while getting thumped by No. 2-ranked Oregon (Sept. 20, 41-7) and No. 11 Texas Tech (45-14).

Pac-12 Reorganization

The departing Pac-12 members included Oregon, Washington, UCLA and Southern Cal, all to the Big-10; Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah, all to the Big-12; as well as Cal-Berkeley and Stanford to the ACC.

New full members of the Pac-12 will include Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State. Affiliate members for wrestling will include Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, Cal State Bakersfield, and Arkansas-Little Rock.

SELECTED GAME STATS

BONUS PHOTOS (click on any image for larger version and Slide Show Mode)

All photographic images by Jared Everett, process by David Rogers for High Country Sports

 

 

 

 

By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — The App State volleyball team (10-2, 1-0 SBC) opened Sun Belt play on Friday with a 3-1 (21-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-23) victory over James Madison (7-6, 0-1 SBC). Friday’s victory marked the program’s third consecutive win over JMU.

App State 3, James Madison 1

Senior Keionna Mackey led the Mountaineers with 15 kills, followed by fellow senior Maya Winterhoff, who tallied 14. Mackey and Winterhoff were also responsible for the Mountaineers’ two solo blocks. Sophomore Bella Hutchens also played a key role in Friday’s match, slamming down 10 kills. Redshirt senior Addison Heidemann made 43 of App State’s 48 assists, while sophomore MeMe Davis led the team with 11 digs. App State served up nine aces compared to JMU’s two.

James Madison commanded the first set after jumping ahead 6-0 early. The Mountaineers narrowed the deficit to 17-13 with a 5-0 run. With blocks from the duos of Mackey and sophomore Lou Johnson, and Hutchens and Johnson, as well as a Mackey kill, App Stat cut the deficit to three (21-18). Winterhoff managed to hold JMU at set point, but it wasn’t enough as the Dukes took the first set, 25-21.

Johnson was quick to open the second set with a kill for the Mountaineers. Throughout the set, App State and James Madison knotted the score on 13 occasions, but only traded the lead four times. The Mountaineers broke a 16-all tie with a run that included a Mackey ace and kills from Hutchens and senior Ali Morris. JMU answered with a 5-0 to take a 21-20 edge, but the Mountaineers regained the lead with a JMU error and back-to-back kills from Morris. Heidemann set Winterhoff up for a kill to cap the set, 25-23, for the Mountaineers.

Early in the third set, App State and JMU fought through several ties. With a 4-0 run that included a pair of Mackey kills, the Mountaineers took an 11-8 lead. The Black and Gold leapt ahead, 16-10, with a 5-0 run as Mackey, Morris, and Hutchens made kills, Heidemann served up an ace, and the duo of Johnson and Hutchens went up for a block. Kills from Hutchens, Winterhoff, and Morris kept App State ahead, 21-14. JMU found momentum with a 4-0 run to narrow the deficit to 21-18. The Mountaineers secured the second set, 25-19, with a Winterhoff kill, JMU error, and Winterhoff ace. Over the course of the third set, App State held JMU to a hitting percentage of .075 while maintaining a hitting percentage of .226.

The Mountaineers’ momentum carried into the fourth set as Mackey went to work slamming down a kill and serving up an ace. Davis made one of her two kills to help App State to an early 3-0 lead. In the final set, App State and JMU tied on six occasions, but only swapped the lead twice. With a 5-0 run that featured kills from Morris and Winterhoff, as well as Mackey’s solo block, the Mountaineers established a 10-6 lead. The Dukes managed to meet the Mountaineers at 19-all, but a JMU error and consecutive aces from Winterhoff pushed App State ahead, 22-19. JMU managed to knot the score once more at 22-all before App State reached match point with back-to-back kills from Mackey and Hutchens. Davis made the Mountaineers’ final kill as App State took the set, 25-23, and the match, 3-1.

Looking Ahead

                    
The Mountaineers and Dukes return to the court at 2 p.m. on Saturday for Youth Day. All kids aged 12 and under will receive free admission.

By Layne McNary. LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The App State field hockey team took down the Bellarmine Knights 2-0 on Friday in the second shutout of the season.

The Mountaineers (7-1, 2-0 MAC) held a majority of ball possession in the game, finding the back of the cage in the second half of the contest. App State did not allow a single shot in the game, with the Mountaineers outshooting the Knights (0-8, 0-2 MAC) 16-0.

Sophia Baxter and Lise Boekaar both scored against Bellarmine, keeping the Mountaineers undefeated in conference play.

How it Happened

1st Quarter: It was scoreless in the first period, with the Mountaineers dominating much of the ball. Although generating two corners and getting four shots up, the Mountaineers failed to convert to begin the game.

2nd Quarter: It was more of the same for the Mountaineers, dominating the ball with five shots on goal and two corners. Despite multiple times in front of the cage, the Mountaineers remained scoreless heading into the break.

3rd Quarter: The Mountaineers ended the scoreless draw, with Boekaar scoring her ninth goal of the season off a penalty corner. The Mountaineers also tallied two shots on goal and two corners.

4th Quarter: To close out the game, Baxter found the back of the cage for her seventh goal of the season, doubling the Mountaineer lead to two. The Mountaineers closed out the game earning two more corners in the 2-0 win over Bellarmine.

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — Strong defense and a penalty kick score from graduate forward Izzi Wood helped lead App State Soccer to a 1-0 victory over the South Alabama Jaguars at The Valley on Friday. It was the Mountaineers’ (5-5-1, 1-2-0 SBC) first clean sheet on defense since posting back-to-back shutouts against Davidson and Miami in August.

Wood’s game-winning goal was the 29th of her career, placing her one goal back of the program record of 30 set by Casey Cleary.

Anna Claire Jacobi was lights out between the posts on Friday, saving five shots and posting a clean sheet. South Alabama (7-3-0, 2-1-0 SBC) came into the game having outscored its opponents 11-1 in Sun Belt play and 24-8 overall this season. App State’s shutout marked just the second time this season that South Alabama didn’t record a goal, with the last instance occurring in its season opener at LSU.

The Jaguars generated the first chances in the game, seeing Aliya Gomez attempt two shots in the 12th and 20th minutes. Both were saved by Jacobi, with the second one being a kick save on a breakaway chance.

Shortly after Jacobi’s save, Wood sent one on goal that threatened the net, but her shot was saved by the Jaguars. The Mountaineers took two shots in the first half as Kyli Switalski took the game’s first shot in the 11th minute.

As the contest went into halftime scoreless, App State saw its offense spark to begin the final frame. In the 54th minute, Wood tallied back-to-back shots, one of which hit the right post off a rebound chance, but South Alabama was able to clear it, and play moved on.

Another chance generated by the Mountaineers’ strong second-half push led to a shot by Hayden Petrick that went high. Six minutes later, Wood found herself with the ball deep in South Alabama territory and turned to make a shot, but was fouled before she could take it. Attempting App State’s fourth penalty kick of the year, Wood shot toward the left post, and the keeper dove right, leading to a score. The Mountaineers are now 4-4 on penalty kicks this season.

The Mountaineer defense continued its stellar showing, forcing another tough South Alabama shot that led to Jacobi’s fifth save of the game in the 89th minute. Wood’s penalty kick score turned into the decider as the Mountaineers claimed a huge win, their first over South Alabama since 2016 and second all-time.

App State will next take the field in Conway, S.C., for a Thursday night tilt with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — In a match that was tied 31 times with 17 actual lead changes across four sets, App State emerged the victor against in-state, non-conference rival Davidson on Sept. 21, 3-1 (23-25, 25-21. 25-20, 25-18).

Th Mountaineers had to overcome a ferocious offensive attack by the Wildcats, led by 6-0 junior outside hitter Elena Garcia-Guerrios and 6-1 junior middle blocker Mia Compas. A native of Manati, Puerto Rico, Garcia-Guerrios recorded 26 kills on the afternoon, on a staggering 63 attacks. Compas, a native of Carlsbad, Calif., added 11 kills on 26 attacks.

App State countered with sophomore libero MeMe Davis’ and senior outside hitter Ali Morris’ 24 and 12 digs, respectively, to keep the ball in play. While the Wildcats’ offensive prowess seemed to be centered on Garcia-Guerrios and Compas, the overall defensive skills of the Mountaineers set up a multi-faceted attack spread across five key players, including Morris (12 kills), senior middle blocker Maya Winterhoff (10 kills), sophomore outside hitter Bella Hutchens (10 kills), senior outside hitter Keionna Mackey (9 kills), and sophomore middle blocker Lou Johnson (6 kills).

If, as the old saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life,” then an offensive volleyball attack that could come from any direction at any time is a winning strategy. The focal point of App State’s spreading the ball around comes down to the setting abilities of redshirt senior setter, Addison Heidemann, who recorded 38 assists spread across the four sets.

Sunday’s encounter with Davidson concludes the non-conference schedule for the Mountaineers’ 2025 campaign. The finish with a commendable 9-2 record, which included Power Four wins over Duke (3-1) and Virginia (3-2), as well as tight losses to Michigan State (2-3) and North Carolina (1-3).

“Our non-conference schedule was tough and Davidson was a part of that equation. They are a great program,” said App State head coach Chad Sutton afterwards. “We knew it was going to be a battle. The pass well. They serve well. The defend well. They are a physical team with low errors. They have a couple of players over there who are studs. We knew it was going to be a battle and that was what you saw on the court.”

For Sutton and his Mountaineers, they now face a new season.

“The non-conference season doesn’t matter. We have a new season and we want to win every season. The non-conference season for us is about learning ourselves, learning our team, especially with a new (coaching) staff. We had to do a lot of learning during non-conference. Now we have a pretty good idea of everything and we need to refine and fine tune, make a couple of tweaks, hone in and get a little bit better on a couple of our skills,” said Sutton.

Morris, who had a double-double on the day with a dozen kills to go with 12 digs, also talked about the “new season” in speaking with High Country Sports after the match.

“It has been a challenging non-conference schedule and the only two losses being against Power Four schools, Michigan State and North Carolina, that’s incredible,” said Morris. “All of those early games prepared us so well for conference play. Davidson had really good ball control and they were super scrappy. You hit somewhere and they are most likely going to show up there. We love close games and nailbiters to five sets around here, but it was good to get this one in four.”

In his first year leading the Mountaineer volleyball program, Sutton didn’t hesitate in answering a question about his thoughts in taking the App State job.

“Being 9-2 helps!” he said with a broad smile and chuckles from those around him. “Seriously, though, the only challenge in making this decision was our having a baby as I was getting hired in April, so now just five months old. I’m a Florida guy, so I know that snow might be tough, but that was not a factor (in the decision). This team, though, the girls are flying around, making it a lot easier on us as a staff in our transition here. Everybody wants to win.

“The biggest challenge,” he added, “… anytime you take a new job there is an onboarding process. You are new to the area. Outside of the job you have to learn how to function in the community, what your routines are going to be. Add in what your routines are going to be in the job, as well… it is a lot all at once, especially with a new baby. So our challenge has been to get organized quickly on a crammed timeline. Being an April hire, everything is condensed. You have to get organized quick while raising a child for the first time in your life. But this team and this community has been great, making it all easier.”

Sutton and staff will take the Mountaineers into the new, Sun Belt Conference season against James Madison on Friday, Sept. 26, with first serve scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Holmes Convocation Center. They will play the Dukes again on Sept. 27, in a 2 p.m. affair before traveling the following weekend to face Louisiana on Oct. 3 (7 p.m, Eastern time) and Sept. 4 (2 p.m. ET).

BOX SCORE

 

BONUS PHOTOS (Click on any image for larger size and Slide Show mode)

All photographic images by David Rogers for High Country Sports