By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — One of the most entertaining collegiate volleyball matches of recent memory blessed the Holmes Convocation Center on Sept. 7, in the opening match of the Black and Gold Invitational. North Carolina A&T took host Appalachian State to the brink of its first loss but somehow the Mountaineers found a way to come out on top, 3-2 (21-25, 26-24, 25-14, 25-23, 16-14), and remain undefeated at 7-0 for the young 2023 season.
BONUS PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE (click on an image to transition to slide show mode)
It is the best start to a fall volleyball campaign for the Mountaineers since they went 13-0 at the beginning of the 2014 season.
Katie Cruise had 30 assists and a whopping four service aces for the Mountaineers vs. NC A&T on Sept. 7 in the first match of the black and Gold Invitational. Photographic image by David Rogers
On the surface, the Mountaineers squandered several scoring opportunities with service errors, but head coach Sarah Rumely Noble dismissed that notion as a consequence of overall team strategy.
“We knew they had some big hitters,” said Noble, “so we wanted to be aggressive with our serves, aiming to take them out of their system. When you are aggressive with serving, odds increase that you will make mistakes along the way. So I have no problem with our service errors.”
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE NOTES
Junior Lulu Ambrose recorded a team-high 15 kills on the evening.
Fifth-year senior McCall Denny notched her third double-double on the season with 13 kills and 15 digs.
freshman Delanie Grevengoed posted a career-high 13 kills.
Redshirt freshman Katie Cruise led the team with 30 assists and four aces.
Senior Sophie Cain posted 24 assists.
Leading the team in the digs category was sophomore Kenady Roper, with 24.
Junior Lauren Pledger and freshman Ava Leahy each notched eight blocks on the night.
While App State seemed to dominate the third set with a 25-14 advantage, all four of the others were tense, white-knuckle battles that felt like they could go either way.
App State team members celebrate a point vs. NC A&T on Sept. 7. Photographic image by David Rogers
“A tight, 5-set volleyball match is likely to show up in the final statistics,” said Noble. “The differences between the two teams’ numbers are often very small.”
Indeed, on attack the Mountaineers had just four more kills than the Aggies, 63 vs. 59, and both teams had commendable attack percentages, 0.222 for App State and 0.194 for NC A&T.
Although the Mountaineers were aggressive in their serving and had a number of service errors, they still managed to carve out a 9-5 advantage in service aces, including four by Katie Cruise.
McCall Denny (5) had the last word — this final kill shot — on Sept. 7 in the 5-set win over North Carolina A&T at the Holmes Convocation Center on Sept. 7. Photographic image by David Rogers
Where A&T really stayed in the game was on defense. They recorded 14 blocks compared to the Mountaineers’ 12. And the Aggies kept the ball in play defending against App State’s big hitters, with 83 digs vs. the home team’s 60. There was only a 1-assist difference between the two teams, App State with 57 assists vs. NC A&T with 56.
The Mountaineers will have little time to celebrate. They play the second match of the tourney on Friday morning, 11 a.m., hosting the University of South Carolina-Upstate in the Holmes Center. They close the tournament on Sept. 9, 2 p.m., taking on in-state rival, UNC-Greensboro, also at the Holmes Center.
After an away tournament at Davidson where the Mountaineers will take on the Wildcats on Sept. 14, 7 p.m., then Wake Forest on Sept. 15, at 6 p.m., they open Sun Belt Conference play at home on Sept. 22 vs. James Madison, at 6 p.m., then Sept. 23 vs. the Dukes at 1 p.m.
BONUS PHOTOS (click on an image to transition to slide show mode)
App State team members celebrate a point vs. NC A&T on Sept. 7. Photographic image by David Rogers
The Mountaineers’ Lulu Ambrose led the team with 15 kills, but also shows some defensive skills, too, on Sept. 7 vs. North Carolina A&T. Photographic image by David Rogers
Katie Cruise had 30 assists and a whopping four service aces for the Mountaineers vs. NC A&T on Sept. 7 in the first match of the black and Gold Invitational. Photographic image by David Rogers
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — There was a lot of passion and drama on and off the field on Sept. 2 for App State Football’s season-opener vs. in-state rival, Gardner-Webb. Here are a few captured moments, all photographic images by David Rogers for High Country Sports. Note: you can click on the first image and they will appear in a slide show format.
Photographic image by David Rogers
‘Hey, Mom. Yeah, I am being photographed right now with a few of my friends. Send money!’ App State’s student fans were loud and feeling the Kidd Brewer Stadium energy on Sept. 2 when the Mountaineers hosted Gardner-Webb. Photographic image by David RogersNew App State points on the scoreboard means more pushups for these front row students.
Some Watauga High School royalty was present along the sidelines.
By Jacob Plecker for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — Deep into the fourth quarter with the scored deadlocked at 0-0, an insert by Florine Koopman into the circle found junior Jillian Orcutt, who saw an opportunity, took the pass and fired the ball past the Davidson goalkeeper to give App State (3-1) a lead that decidef today’s contest.
Orcutt scored the game’s lone goal with just eight minutes to play in the Sept. 3 contest. It was a tightly contested matchup, but Orcutt and the Mountaineers prevailed thanks to outstanding defense — and timely offense near the end.
Coach Dinsmore stressed ball control after Friday’s loss to Drexel and the Mountaineers proved they listened. App State controlled the ball for much of this game and generated several chances to score before finally netting the deciding goal late.
“Everyone wanted it really bad today,” Orcutt said. “We talk a lot in practice about framing the cage and we executed that very well today by being in the right positions. Everyone worked really hard to execute the game plan and I’m just grateful I was in the right spot.”
The Mountaineer defense was especially potent, posting the team’s first shutout of the year. Davidson managed only two corners and any momentum generated from possessing the ball for long periods was quickly thwarted by the pressure provided by App State.
“The defense was locked in today,” head coach Emily Dinsmore said. “They were a force to be reckoned with. They didn’t let Davidson generate much. Even when they did get shots, we contested the shots very well to where it made it an easier save for Addie. I’m really proud of the way we stood strong defensively today.”
How it Happened
1st Quarter
App State controlled the ball for much of the first quarter, generating several chances inside the attacking 25. The Mountaineers drew a corner early, giving them their first scoring chance of the day. Off the insert by Koopman, Sarah Perkins left the ball for Grace Ball who fired the game’s first shot but missed wide.
The Mountaineers drew a second corner opportunity with five minutes to play in the opening frame, but nothing came of it as the Davidson defense stood strong. After the first quarter of play, the game was scoreless with App State leading the shot tally 1-0.
2nd Quarter
Davidson responded well to App State’s strong opening quarter on offense, controlling the ball and generating multiple shots and corners.
The second quarter started with an App State corner just 43 seconds in. Off the insert, Charlotte Bosma fired her first of four shots on the day but had it blocked. The Mountaineers rattled off two more shots in the quarter, but neither were on target.
The Wildcats outshot the Mountaineers 4-3 in the second quarter and showed some good resolve to App State’s pressure to end the half. Fifth-year goalkeeper Addie Clark picked up two of her five saves in the second period off the four Davidson shots.
Although the two teams were playing with aggression, neither team found the back of the cage in the first half. Addie Clark has posted four shutout halves this season.
3rd: The third quarter saw the Mountaineers push right back at Davidson’s strong second quarter, getting the ball into the circle on multiple occasions and outshooting the Wildcats 3-2.
The period started with a flurry of shots by Charlotte Bosma off two corners. The junior attempted a season-high four shots in today’s contest.
Davidson found a few opportunities to score, attempting two shots in the period, but the Mountaineer defense stood firm and contested every shot the Wildcats had. Both Wildcat shots were blocked by the staunch App State defense.
It was a very close game throughout the first three quarters on Sunday, and although both teams had plenty of opportunities, the score was deadlocked at zero as we headed to the final 15 minutes.
4th: The fourth quarter started with App State controlling the ball for much of the period with nothing to come of it. Then, in the 51st minute of play, Florine Koopman advanced the ball into the circle and crossed it to Orcutt who slapped the ball past the defense, finally finding the back of the cage.
The goal for Orcutt was her first career goal in the Black & Gold. She is now the third Mountaineer this season to achieve that milestone, joining freshmen Florine Koopman and Sophia Baxter.
Davidson got much more aggressive as play progressed in the fourth. The Wildcats fired two consecutive shots on goalkeeper Addie Clark, but Clark showed why she’s great and saved both of them.
The fourth quarter was tightly contested, but App State was able to make Orcutt’s first career goal stand up and the Mountaineers posted their third win of the season and first home win on the new turf at Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field.
Coach’s Thoughts
“It’s really good for our team to bounce back after Friday’s loss with a grinded-out win against a good team,” Dinsmore said. “The team did whatever they could to win the game and laid their hearts on the line to make sure we got this victory.”
Up Next
App State will have a couple days off before starting a three-game road trip in Harrisonburg, Va., where they will take on future MAC foe James Madison on Friday. First touch from the JMU Field Hockey Complex is scheduled for 5 p.m.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Toward the end of what had been a moribund first half, App State head coach Shawn Clark needed a spark. It would be an understatement to say that he didn’t get it.
Instead, backup quarterback Joey Aguilar delivered a firestorm, powering the Mountaineers to a convincing, 45-24 season-opening win over the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs. There was drama aplenty to sate the gridiron appetites of 36,075 fans filling the grandstands and grassy knolls of Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Chants of ‘USA, USA, USA’ followed this dramatic entrance during the playing of the National Anthem on Sept. 2 at Kidd-Brewer Stadium where App State hosted Gardner-Webb. Photographic image by David Rogers
With 2:13 on the first half clock, Aguilar made his entrance. Whether starting quarterback Ryan Burger’s injured finger or Clark’s professed need for a “spark” held greater sway in the decision to bring in the backup QB is debatable, of course, but one play and seven seconds later the Mountaineers took the lead, 14-10, when Aguilar hit wide receiver Kaedin Robinson for a 32-yard TD reception.
The last time a quarterback debuted for App State with a completion on his first career pass attempt in such a dramatic setting was Peyton Derrick, at Penn State in 2018, when then QB Zac Thomas left for one play with a presumed injury. Derrick promptly connected with wide receiver Dominique Heath for a 22-yard completion to keep the Mountaineer drive alive in Happy Valley — and the near-victory in overtime.
The Sept. 2 game’s first score was not until TE Eli Wilson caught a pass from Ryan Burger late in the first quarter. Photographic image by David Rogers
This time, Aguilar’s first pass — for a TD, no less — was just the beginning of his debut performance. Taking the reins in the second half, Aguilar finished the game completing 11 of 13 passes for 174 yards, including four touchdowns and no interceptions. It was a performance good enough to collect a near-perfect 298.6 passer rating, according to StatBroadcast.
Aguilar’s execution was sharp, confident, and decisive. In the decisive third quarter, he marched the App State offense down the field for three TDs and a field goal. The longest drive took just 3:17 off the clock, covering 65 yards in eight plays and finished with a 26-yard pass down the middle to WR Deshaun Davis. The Mountaineers’ next drive was just four plays covering 64 yards, culminating with Aguilar finding Dalton Stroman down the right side for a 43-yard TD pass.
Gardner-Webb QB Matthew Caldwell directed an efficient, up tempo and mostly short passing attack that ate up yardage. Photographic image by David Rogers
While the Mountaineer defense seemed to have mostly figured out the Bulldogs’ up-tempo, short passing offense by the middle of the third quarter and turned back all GW drives for the rest of the game, the Aguilar-directed offense wasn’t done. App State recorded two more touchdowns and a field goal to put the finishing touches on the scoring.
Including Burger’s first quarter TD pass of 12 yards to tight end Eli Wilson for the game’s first scoring, the two App State QBs combined for five touchdowns passes to five different receivers, including Robinson, Davis, Wilson, Stroman and Christan Horn. Through the air, the QBs completed 18-of-24 passes for 244 yards, five TDs and no interceptions.
App State’s fans were loud and feeling the Kidd Brewer Stadium energy on Sept. 2 when the Mountaineers hosted Gardner-Webb. Photographic image by David Rogers
In one sense, the pass-heavy attack was uncharacteristic of the Mountaineers’ run-first approach. That said, lead running back Nate Noel averaged almost five yards (4.9) per carry, toting the ball 24 times for 117 yards and a rushing TD near the beginning of the fourth quarter. A junior transfer from Navy, running back Maquel Haywood added 46 yards on 11 carries (a 4.2 avg.).
Even during App State’s second half resurgence, the Bulldogs were not idle. In fact, they took their last lead of the game late in the third quarter when quarterback Matthew Caldwell tossed a pass to running back Jayden Brown that he took to the house for a 41-yard TD scamper. With just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Brown’s catch-and-run put the Bulldogs ahead for the last time, 24-21.
Photographic image by David Rogers
Call it a momentum changer if you will, but Watauga High School alum Jackson Greene’s interception of a Caldwell pass with less than 20 seconds left in the third quarter, including a 25-yard return, all but put a stop to GW’s upset aspirations. Now a fifth-year redshirt junior according to COVID-19 eligibility math, Greene displayed the kind of athleticism and fleet-of-foot speed that he showcased throughout a decorated high school career as a Pioneer. And perhaps it was just what the Mountaineers needed to inspire the defense for the remainder of the game.
Credit the upset-minded Bulldogs for a sparkling performance through the first three quarters of this game. The team’s up-tempo, short passing attack mixed in with some well-designed runs by Brown (9 carries, 45 yards and 2 TDs) and Narii Gaither (10 carries, 54 yards) nearly won the day, facilitated by a well-disciplined offensive line that at times owned the line of scrimmage.
Photographic image by David Rogers
For his part, the Bulldog QB, Matthew Caldwell was impressive in directing the Bulldog offense. He completed 30-of-46 passes for 231 yards and a TD, offset by two INTs. In addition to Greene’s interception, the Mountaineers’ Jack Scroggs followed up with his own first career INT early in the fourth quarter, putting a stiff-arm to any hopes GW had of completing the upset.
In his post-game press conference, Clark was quick to credit Gardner-Webb while acknowledging that it was great to start 1-0, but there was plenty of work to do to get ready for next week’s tilt at North Carolina.
Of the decision to bring in Aguilar, Clark said, “It was my call. It came in a situation where Ryan (Burger) had jammed his finger a little bit and I felt we needed a spark to get us going. Joey came in and his first at App State was completed for a touchdown. That gave us the spark we needed.”
Gardner-Webb’s goal line stand in the 4th quarter could not quite stop Nate Noel’s rushing TD. Photographic image by David Rogers
Clark added that Burger will be evaluated by team doctors and the coaching staff will know more about his availability at that time.
Clark reiterated and reinforced his opening statement, too.
“Gardner-Webb is a good football team,” he said. “That quarterback (Caldwell) is a good player. That running back (Brown) could play anywhere in the Sun Belt. They gave us a lot of challenges by formation, by motion and different types of screens.”
Clark also reminded the media that one of the coaching staff’s priorities in the offseason was to strengthen the defensive side’s roster depth, including through the transfer portal.
“We produced three turnovers. You look at Jack Scroggs (transfer from Wofford), Jackson Greene and Montez Kelley (transfer from Tiffin University), those are guys who aren’t starters but when their number was called, they made a play,” said Clark.
This pass was just of Eli Wilson’s reach, early in the game. Photographic image by David Rogers
In speaking about his performance as the mid-game replacement QB who provided Clark’s needed spark, the soft-spoken Aguilar said, “Honestly, it comes from our training in practice. Whether you are first, second, or third, it is always ‘next man up.’ You always have to be prepared. It is part of the job.”
For a young man who grew up in California wanting to be a linebacker or tight end, Aguilar’s transition to quarterback as he got older also allowed him to be appreciative of the Kidd Brewer Stadium environment.
“It was unbelievable,” said Aguilar. “I have never played in a stadium this big, this sold out and with this many people before, so it was awesome. To throw my first touchdown pass and hear everyone cheer, it was awesome. My biggest crowd (in junior college) might have filled one side of bleachers. It was nothing like this.”
Whether Burger returns to his starting role in next week in Chapel Hill or the coaches decide to roll with Aguilar will be the pressing question of the week, perhaps. Either way, the Mountaineers learned a lot about themselves in this season-opening tilt vs. Gardner-Webb.
By Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports. GREENVILLE, N.C. – The App State volleyball team closed out competition at the ECU Tournament with a thrilling, five-set victory over East Carolina, 3-2 (25-23, 18-25, 19-25, 27-25, 15-13).
The Mountaineers are now 6-0 on the season following competition at the Mountaineer Classic (Aug. 25-26) and the ECU Tournament (Sept. 1-2).
“I am so proud of the grit, confidence, and hunger we played with,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “Winning with two, 5-setters this weekend was huge development as a team. We executed when it mattered and fought hard. I love coaching this team.”
Junior Lulu Ambrose, sophomore Maya Winterhoff, and fifth-year senior McCall Denny earned spots on the ECU All-Tournament team for their efforts on the court over the weekend. Ambrose recorded 35 kills and five blocks to go along with six digs. Winterhoff recorded a hitting percentage of .490 over the three matches and totaled 28 kills, 17 blocks (one solo, 16 assists), seven digs, and one ace. Denny made 38 kills and 38 digs, recording two double-doubles on the weekend. She also made eight blocks and served up three aces.
App State 3, East Carolina 2
Ambrose led the team in kills with 13, including the match-winning kill. Denny notched 12 kills and matched her career high 19 digs for her second double-double of the season. Denny split the team high digs with sophomore Kenady Roper. Sophomores Alyssa McBean and Roper each had two aces on the afternoon while senior Sophie Cain and redshirt freshman both recorded double-digit assists with 26 and 25, respectively.
App State and East Carolina shared a tight team comparison, with App State holding an edge in the kills (58-57), assists (54-50), and digs (85-83) categories. The teams each served up six aces over the duration of the match.
App State jumped to an 8-5 lead in the first set with a 5-0 scoring run that included kills from Winterhoff, freshman Ava Leahy, Ambrose, and an ace from Winterhoff. As ECU struggled to keep up, App State extended their lead to 23-15 after kills from Denny and freshman Delanie Grevengoed. The Pirates caught up to the Mountaineers at 24-23, but a kill from Winterhoff secured the set for App State, 25-23.
The Mountaineers started off the second set strong with an 8-4 lead, but ECU managed to make up ground, meeting the Mountaineers at 8-8 all. Matching point-for-point, the Pirates managed to break away with a 4-0 run and a 5-0 run to lead 24-17. Junior Lauren Pledger managed a last kill before ECU took the set, 25-18.
App State and East Carolina fought through a tight third set, not allowing more than a four-point lead for either team early. Leahy slammed down a kill to put App State ahead 11-8, but ECU posted seven consecutive points for a 15-12 lead. The Black and Gold steadily chipped away at the lead until ECU took the set 25-19.
With ECU leading the match two sets to one, App State came out determined in the fourth, building a 5-2 lead off kills from Winterhoff and Ambrose, in addition to an ace from McBean. The Mountaineers jumped ahead 15-10, but ECU was quick to close the deficit. An ECU attack error brought App State to set point, but ECU mustered two points to tie the score at 24 all. A kill from Ambrose gave App State a 25-24 edge before the Pirates matched the score at 25 all. With a kill, Denny clinched the fourth set for the Mountaineers, 27-25.
In the fifth and final set, App State jumped ahead 8-5 early. ECU went on a 4-0 scoring run to take a 9-8 lead, but the Mountaineers battled point-for-point to regain an 11-10 edge. Kills from Leahy and Ambrose brought App State to set and match point. ECU managed two more points to cut the Mountaineers’ lead to 14-13, but a kill from Ambrose sealed the set (15-13) and the match (3-2) for the Black & Gold’s sixth-straight win of the season.
Up Next
App State will host the Black & Gold Invitational on Sept. 7-9. The Mountaineers will kick things off with a 6 p.m. match against North Carolina A&T on Sept. 7. App State will take on USC-Upstate at 11 a.m. on Sept. 8 for Education Day, before returning to the court for the tournament finale against UNC Greensboro at 2 p.m. on Sept. 9.
By Jared Plecker for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – In front of a packed house at Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field, the App State Mountaineers (2-1) dropped their first contest in the Emily Dinsmore era against the Drexel Dragons (2-1) 3-0 on Sept. 1.
App State’s offense sputtered in today’s contest. The team attempted just two shots for the first three quarters in Friday night’s action. Drexel netted an early goal just minutes into the third quarter to secure the win.
Goalkeeper Addie Clark saved five shots in today’s contest. She has saved 14 shots so far this season to give her 219 for her career. Clark and the Mountaineer defense held the Dragons scoreless in the first half, while only allowing one shot.
Sophomore Bridget Donovan attempted two shots in today’s game to lead the Mountaineer offensive attack. Both shots were saved by the Dragon goalkeeper. App State was very aggressive in the attacking 25 all night, outshooting Drexel in the first half and the fourth quarter.
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Quarter
Drexel defender Pien Elsen got things started with a shot just 25 seconds into play today. The shot was saved by Addie Clark, giving her her first save of the evening.
Bridget Donovan tallied App State’s first shot, firing one on goal but had it blocked by the Dragon goalkeeper. Donovan fired her second shot of the contest just a minute later, but also had that shot blocked.
Both teams were held scoreless in the first quarter.
2nd Quarter
The second quarter did not see any offensive action from either side. After 30 minutes of play, the game was scoreless.
Mountaineer goalkeeper Addie Clark has now held the opposition scoreless in three halves this season.
3rd Quarter
Drexel scored the game’s first goal off a corner kick just over a minute into the second half. Pien Elsen slid a shot past Clark to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead in the third.
The Mountaineers were aggressive in the third quarter on offense, but the Drexel defense held firm, holding the Mountaineers shotless for the second consecutive quarter.
With 26 seconds to go in the period, Drexel found the net again to give them a 2-0 lead. Val Van Hellemont was responsible for this goal, her second of the season.
4th Quarter
App State put four shots in the direction of the goalkeeper in the fourth quarter. Henriette Stegen slapped her second shot of the season at Dragon goalkeeper Megan Hadfield, but had it blocked.
In the late stages of the quarter, the Mountaineers attempted three shots within a minute of each other, but Hadfield stood firm between the posts.
The Dragons notched their third goal of the contest with 10 minutes of play to give them their third and final goal of the game to secure the win.
App State will return to Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field to cap off the weekend with the Davidson Wildcats on Sept. 3 to renew the longest series in program history. First touch is slated for 3 p.m. and can be streamed on Twitch, YouTube and the App State Field Hockey Facebook page.
By Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports. GREENVILLE, N.C. — The App State volleyball team swept Bethune-Cookman, 3-0 (25-11, 25-17, 25-16), and came out victorious from a five-set thriller against Campbell, 3-2 (28-30, 21-25, 25-19, 25-16, 15-9), at the ECU Tournament on Friday.
Due to statistics-related issues during the App State vs. Campbell match, a full box score is not available at this time.
App State 3, Bethune-Cookman 0
Freshman Delanie Grevengoed tallied a career and team high 11 kills, while redshirt freshman Katie Cruise posted a career high and team high 22 assists. Sophomore Kenady Roper led the Mountaineers in the digs category with 10, while junior Lily Harvey totaled a team-high four blocks. Fifth-year senior McCall Denny, junior Alexis Hardison, sophomore Alyssa McBean, Roper and Cruise each posted an ace on the morning.
The Mountaineers outpaced the Wildcats in points (56-24), kills (44-21), aces (5-0), blocks (7-3), assists (41-19), and digs (33-26). Eighteen of 20 Mountaineers saw playing time against the Wildcats in Friday’s morning session.
App State held Bethune-Cookman to a mere 11 points in the first set after jumping ahead 4-0 early with kills from junior Lauren Pledger, Denny, and Grevengoed. The Mountaineers steadily built on their lead with three more 3-0 scoring runs, which eventually brought the Mountaineers to a 19-8 lead.
A kill from freshman Ava Leahy, block from Leahy/Pledger, and pair of errors from the Wildcats extended the Black & Gold’s lead to 23-9. Leahy and junior Lulu Ambrose closed out the first set with a pair of kills for a score of 25-11.
The second set started with a pair of blocks from Grevengoed/Harvey and Harvey/Denny as well as an ace from McBean. Leading 3-2, the Mountaineers extended their commanding lead with a 5-0 scoring run as well as a pair of 4-0 runs (21-13). App State took the second set 25-17 after another set-closing kill from Ambrose. Bethune-Cookman scored the first point of the final set and went point-for-point with the Mountaineers until a pair of Wildcat errors and an ace from Denny gave App State a 6-3 edge.
The Mountaineers continued to break away with another pair of 3-0 runs to take a 12-5 lead. A pair of back-to-back kills from Grevengoed, a kill from senior Cierra Huntley, and BCU error, put App State up 17-7. Kills from Huntley, Winterhoff, Ambrose, an ace from junior Alexis Hardison, and block from Harvey/senior Madison Baldridge brought the Mountaineers to set and match point. The Mountaineers secured the set 25-16, and the match 3-0.
App State 3, Campbell 2
Ambrose, Denny, and Winterhoff each recorded double-digit kills against the Camels. Denny also recorded the Mountaineers’ first double-double on the season with double-digit kills and digs.
The Mountaineers and Camels battled through a tight first set, pushing the score to 30-28 in favor of Campbell. Another point-for-point set brought Campbell into a 2-0 lead as they took the second set, 25-21, but App State was undeterred. The Black and Gold found its momentum in the third set, building off a 6-4 lead to leap ahead, 21-16. Taking the third set, 25-19, App State jumped to an immediate 10-0 lead in the fourth, building off aces from Roper and kills from Winterhoff, and Grevengoed. The Mountaineers held the Camels to 16 points in the fourth set, tying up the match at two sets apiece. App State clinched the five-set thriller, 3-2 after taking the fifth and final set, 15-9.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will close out competition at the ECU Tournament with a 3 p.m. match against the host, East Carolina. The match will be available to stream on ESPN+.
By Jacob Plecker for App State Sports. TOWSON, Md. — Three goals within five minutes in the third quarter propelled the App State Mountaineers (2-0) to a 4-1 victory over the Georgetown Hoyas (0-2) and capped off an undefeated opening weekend.
Sunday was a day full of firsts for the Mountaineers.. Sophia Baxter and Florine Koopman notched their first career goals, while Noa Ginjaume Matas was credited with her first two career assists on the day.
Baxter also recorded her first career multi-goal game in Sunday’s win. The freshman midfielder scored the first goal with 10 minutes to play in the third quarter. She then slapped her second career goal into the back of the cage just over five minutes later off a penalty corner, extending the App State lead to four.
The Mountaineers were efficient with the shots they took in the contest. Of the 11 shots that were attempted by App State, seven of them were on goal. They applied constant pressure on the Hoya defense and found the back of the cage four times, recording the most goals the team has scored in a game since Oct. 23, 2022.
With the April 27 win, the Mountaineers have started the season 2-0 for the second straight year. More firsts: Emily Dinsmore won her first two games as a head coach, which is the first time that feat has been accomplished by a Mountaineer head coach since Mandy Latz won her first two games in 2003.
How it Happened
1st Quarter:
The Mountaineers started Sunday’s contest off almost identical to Friday’s win. Off an insert by Florine Koopman on a penalty corner, Sarah Perkins left the ball for Charlotte Bosma who then fired the ball past the Georgetown defense and into the back of the cage to give the Mountaineers an early lead.
Georgetown led the quarter in shots attempted but none were on target, allowing the Mountaineers to take a one goal lead into the second quarter.
2nd Quarter:
The second quarter saw several chances for the Hoyas to tie the game. Georgetown drew one penalty corner and attempted four shots, but Addie Clark continued her great play between the posts and recorded two more saves.
App State did not attempt a shot in the second quarter but the defense held firm as Bosma’s goal preserved the Mountaineers’ 1-0 lead after one half of play.
3rd Quarter:
App State immediately took control of the game coming out of the halftime break, scoring three goals in the quarter and breaking the game wide open.
Sophia Baxter netted her first career goal after App State drew its third penalty corner of the game. Baxter took the pass from Sarah Farrell and smacked the ball past the Hoya goalkeeper to make the score 2-0. Farrell’s assist was her first of the season and sixth of her career.
30 seconds later, App State found the back of the cage for the third time of the day. Florine Koopman scored her first career goal off a redirect to give App State a 3-0 lead. Both Grace Ball and Noa Ginjaume Matas were credited with assists on Koopman’s goal. The assist by Ginjaume Matas was her first career assist.
With five minutes to play in the third quarter, Baxter scored her second career goal and second of the day off yet another App State penalty corner. Ball and Ginjaume Matas were credited with the assists, giving them both two for the day.
App State applied pressure on the Hoya defense throughout the quarter, outshooting them 7-2 in the third.
4th Quarter:
The Hoyas scored their lone goal of the day just three minutes into the fourth quarter on Sunday. Lois Lekawael was responsible for this goal, with assists credited to Julia Hall and Sophie Towne.
But it was too little, too late for the Hoyas as a monster third quarter by the Mountaineers put the game out of reach and propelled the team to its second consecutive 2-0 start.
The Mountaineers return to the High Country for their first home game on Friday, Sep. 1, where they will take on the Drexel Dragons. First touch from Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field is set for 7 p.m. and can be streamed on Twitch, YouTube and the team’s Facebook page.
By Katherine Jamtgaard for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – The App State volleyball team closed out its season-opening tournament on Saturday with its third sweep over the weekend, defeating Tennessee Tech, 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-22). The Mountaineers had opened the tournament with an afternoon 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-19) victory over William & Mary before defeating Bellarmine 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-19) on Friday.
The tournament has marked the best start of the season for App State since the 2018 campaign, where the Mountaineers posted four consecutive 3-0 sweeps from Aug. 24 to Aug. 31.
“I’m so proud of the start that our team had this weekend,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “We made plays and made things happen for ourselves and we controlled our side at a really high level. We can’t wait to get back in the gym and get better next week.”
Freshman Delanie Grevengoed, sophomore Maya Winterhoff, and fifth-year senior McCall Denny earned spots on the Mountaineer Classic All-Tournament team. Denny was also named Tournament MVP after posting 25 kills, 24 digs, four aces and four solo blocks on the weekend. In her App State debut, Grevengoed tallied 23 kills and a hitting percentage of .364 on the weekend. She also totaled seven block assists and six digs through three matches. Winterhoff totaled 17 blocks (six solo, 11 assists) during the tournament as well as 19 kills and a hitting percentage of .317 through three matches.
App State 3, Tennessee Tech 0
Against Tennessee Tech, Denny led the Mountaineers in the kills category with ten, while sophomore Kenady Roper led the team in digs (13). Senior Sophie Cain and sophomore Katie Cruise both tallied 15 assists on the afternoon. Winterhoff posted six blocks against the Golden Eagles. Grevengoed matched her single match high of nine kills, set the night before against Bellarmine, and recorded a hitting percentage of .438.
App State and Tennessee Tech kept a tight team comparison, with the Mountaineers holding a lead in the points, aces, blocks, and digs category.
The Mountaineers battled through long rallies and tight leads in the first set. A kill from Denny broke a 10-10 tie and was followed by an ace from Roper, kill from Winterhoff, and a Golden Eagle error. A five-point run that included kills from freshman Ava Leahy, junior Lulu Ambrose, and an ace from Cruise, extended App State’s lead, 23-17. A kill from Denny secured the set for the Mountaineers, 25-18.
In the second set, App State pulled ahead to an early 14-6 lead. A five-point run that included a pair of kills from Denny, a block from Grevengoed/Winterhoff, and a kill from Grevengoed, launched App State to a 19-9 lead. After junior Lulu Ambrose and junior Lauren Pledger slammed down kills to bring App State to set point, the Golden Eagles held the Mountaineers to four set points before Denny secured the set for the Black and Gold, 25-22, with a kill.
Grevengoed opened the final set with a kill before Tennessee Tech found momentum for a 12-8 lead. A kill from Grevengoed, a block from Grevengoed/Winterhoff, an ace from Roper, and an error from the Golden Eagles tied things up at 12-12 all. The Mountaineers and Golden Eagles fought point-for-point until the Mountaineers managed a 21-17 lead with kills from Pledger, Denny, and Grevengoed. A kill from Denny and an error from Tennessee Tech brought the Mountaineers to set point. The Mountaineers battled through three set points before winning the set and the match with a kill from Leahy.
Up Next
The Mountaineers head to Greenville, N.C. for the ECU Tournament on Sept. 1-2. There, the Black and Gold will clash with Bethune-Cookman, Campbell, and East Carolina.
Mountaineer Classic All-Tournament Team
McCall Denny, App State
Delanie Grevengoed, App State
Maya Winterhoff, App State
Anna Lococo, Bellarmine
Skylar Boom, Tennessee Tech
Taylor Burrell, William & Mary
Lindsay Kahren, William & Mary
Tournament MVP: McCall Denny, App State
Full Mountaineer Classic Tournament Scores & Schedule
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — William & Mary won the 2023 women’s volleyball season’s opening battle, but it was App State that won three successive “wars” to earn a sweep over The Tribe on Aug. 25, 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-19), in the first match of the weekend’s Mountaineer Classic at the Holmes Center.
After The Tribe earned the first point of the first set, the two teams battled back and forth, with multiple ties and exchanging the lead. The last time the first set was knotted was at 21-21, but a service ace by App State’s Kenady Roper followed by a solo block by outside hitter McCall Denny gave the Mountaineers a 2-shot lead, 23-21. Although a kill by The Tribe’s Maddie Meyers (assist from Lindsay Kahren) narrowed the gap, two consecutive kills by App State’s Denny (assists from Katie Cruise and Sophie Cain) closed out the set.
The Mountaineers were in control for almost the entire second set, gradually inching out to an 8-point lead at 19-11. Denny and Maya Winterhoff were on the finishing side of most kill shots.
In the third set, William & Mary again secured the first point, but the Mountaineers quickly reversed the scoring trend and jumped out to a 7-1 lead. The Tribe did battle back to tie the set at 12-12 on a service ace by Amy Schwem, but the Mountaineers gradually expanded their advantage thanks to kills by Winterhoff, Denny, Lulu Ambrose, and Lauren Pledger, as well as service aces off the arms of Denny and Katie Cruise.
The Mountaineers take on Bellarmine at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 25 at the Holmes Center, then face Tennessee Tech on Aug. 26, at 1:30 p.m.
