CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Appalachian State University volleyball could not hang with a talented Charlotte squad Tuesday evening, as the 49ers swept the Mountaineers 3-0. With the loss, ASU drops to 3-7 on the season, while UNCC improves to 5-6 on the season.
It was all Charlotte early on in first set action, notching a 7-1 advantage over a slow-starting Appalachian squad. ASU picked up its pace, pulling within three points at the 10-7 mark, with Kelsey Kuehner leading the Appalachian offense. The Black and Gold continued to compete, still down by just three, with the score at 19-16, with senior Becca Norris tallying two kills and Kuehner chipping in as well.
However, three points turned out to be the narrowest of margins for Appalachian, as three kills by the 49ers and a service error by the Apps gave Charlotte the 25-20 first set win.
ASU struggled to find its footing in second set play as well, facing an early 6-2 deficit, with two Appalachian ball handling errors proving to be costly. The Apps got back on track, cutting Charlotte's lead to just two points with Maja Jechorek slamming home a kill to make it 12-10. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, points by Jenna Litoborski pushed the set out of reach at the 16-12 mark. A kill by Kuehner made the score 21-15, but it was too little too late, with the 49ers earning the 25-19 second set advantage.
The Apps posted a valiant effort battling back and forth with UNCC in the third set, down just 9-8, with Maggie Seeds getting the Black and Gold going offensively. A 5-0 run by the 49ers put the Apps in a hole they couldn't climb out of, down 13-9. Appalachian cut the deficit to five at 16-11, but kills by Litoborski put the match away, with ASU dropping a 25-17 third set decision.
Norris and Seeds lead ASU on the offensive front with six kills, while Litoborksi had a match high 15 kills.
The Mountaineers continue with their 2009 season Friday September 18, as the compete in their last regular-season tournament, the Black and Gold Challenge in Winston-Salem, N.C. ASU's first match is set for 4:30 p.m. against Liberty.
