By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — The App State volleyball team clinched a five-set victory (16-25, 25-23, 20-25, 25-15, 15-11) over Georgia Southern in Boone on Oct. 18. The Mountaineers rise to 10-6 on the season and 4-1 in SBC action. The victory for App State marked Georgia Southern’s first conference loss this season and first loss since Aug. 30.
“I am so proud. We fought and battled and would not be denied,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “We executed our game plan at a really high level. Senior Lulu Ambrose was incredible with 21 kills. I’m excited to get back at it again tomorrow.”
App State 3, Georgia Southern 2
Ambrose led the Mountaineers with 21 kills, matching her career high, which was set during the 2022 season against Georgia Southern. Sophomore Ava Leahy slammed down 13 kills, while junior Maya Winterhoff made 12 kills on the night. Leahy and Winterhoff both totaled three blocks apiece. Registering her fifth double-double of the season with 49 assists and 11 digs was redshirt junior Addison Heidemann. Heidemann also served up five of the Mountaineers’ 10 aces. Freshman Elise Marchal made a team-high 19 digs, followed by junior Kenady Roper, who made 18 digs.
App State edged past Georgia Southern in kills (64-61) and assists (54-51). The Mountaineers and Eagles matched with 10 aces apiece. Prior to Friday’s contest, Georgia Southern had won 42 of their 48 sets played this season.
In the first set, Georgia Southern established an early 7-1 lead. The Mountaineers chipped away at the lead and closed the deficit to five with 4-0 run late in the set, which included a pair of kills from Leahy, an Ambrose ace, and a kill from freshman Bella Hutchens. It wasn’t enough, as the Eagles answered with a 4-0 run of their own to take the set, 25-16.
App State bounced back and commanded the second set, taking a 2-0 lead after an Eagle error and Roper ace. The Mountaineers extended the deficit to 10-1 with an electric eight-point run that featured four of Heidemann’s aces as well as a pair of kills from Ambrose. Marchal served up an ace to push the lead to 15-6. Georgia Southern chipped away at the deficit with a 4-0 run, coming within five of App State’s lead, but kills from Hutchens and Leahy, as well as a block from the duo of Ambrose and Leahy kept the Mountaineers ahead, 18-10. With assists from Heidemann, Ambrose and Winterhoff made kills to extend the lead to 21-14. A kill and ace from Ambrose brought App State to a 23-16 lead. After a 4-0 run from Georgia Southern to cut App State’s lead to 23-20, Heidemann set Marchal up for a kill that would bring the Mountaineers to set point (24-20). The Eagles held the Mountaineers to three set points before a kill from Hutchens clinched the set for App State, 25-23.
Despite knotting the score six times over the course of the third set, Georgia Southern took a 12-7 lead after a 6-0 run. App State cut the deficit to two at 17-15 after kills from Winterhoff and Leahy, in addition to an ace from Marchal. Despite a trio of kills from Ambrose late in the set, the Eagles took the third set, 25-20.
In the fourth set, the Mountaineers held the Eagles to eight kills. App State and Georgia Southern knotted the score once, at six all, but the Mountaineers commanded the lead over the duration of the set. The Mountaineers broke the six-all tie with a 6-0 run that included a trio of kills from Hutchens. Leahy made a kill followed by a solo block to extend App State’s lead to 15-8. The Black and Gold reached a 20-12 lead after kills from Winterhoff and Ambrose and an ace from Heidemann. Heidemann set Hutchens up for a kill and the duo of Hutchens and Leahy went up for a block to extend the Mountaineers’ lead to 23-14. Back-to-back kills from Leahy sealed the set, 25-15, for the Mountaineers.
The Black and Gold once again held Georgia Southern to eight kills in the fifth and final set. App State took control of the set early with a 3-0 lead after an Eagle error and kills from Ambrose and Winterhoff. Kills from Winterhoff, Ambrose and Marchal brought App State to an 8-4 lead. The Eagles cut the deficit to one at 11-10, but an Eagle service error and back-to-back kills from Ambrose brought App State to set and match point (14-10). Despite one last Georgia Southern kill, Winterhoff clinched the set (15-11) and match (3-2) for the Mountaineers with a strong kill.
Looking Ahead
The Mountaineers return to the court at 1 p.m. on Oct. 19 for their “Pink Day” match against the Eagles. Fans are encouraged to wear pink and “I fight for” signs will be available to fill out. There will also be a pink wagon race between the second and third sets. Sophomore Caroline Farthing’s mother, Angie Farthing, will make the honorary first serve of the match.
