BOONE, N.C. – The Appalachian State volleyball team will look to stay atop the SoCon North when it heads to Georgia Southern for a 7 p.m. match against the Eagles on Saturday, Oct. 8.
The Mountaineers (11-7, 3-1) are coming off a weekend split against SoCon foes Elon and UNCG while the Eagles (11-9, 3-1) enter the weekend after downing North Florida, 3-0, in a non-conference match on Wednesday.
ASU returns home against Western Carolina at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 12 in the first of three-straight home matches.
ASU vs. GSU Series History
• Appalachian is 25-11 all-time against Georgia Southern
• The Eagles have won four-straight over the Apps including a 3-1 win in the first round of last year's SoCon Tournament.
• ASU's last win in the series came in a 3-0 victory in Boone during the 2007 season.
• Appalachian's last win in Statesboro came in a 3-0 sweep of the Eagles on Nov. 11, 2006.
• The Eagles are just one of two SoCon teams that ASU's seniors have never defeated. This year's senior class has wins over every team in the SoCon but Furman and Georgia Southern.
All About the Apps
Appalachian State • 11-7 (3-1)
• ASU is 11-7 overall on the season.
• Appalachian's 11-7 record is its second-best start through 18 matches since Ginipro arrived in the High Country. The team's best mark through 18 matches was last season when it was 13-5.
• The Apps have won six of their last seven matches including a season-high five-match winning streak from Sept. 17-25.
• Appalachian's 2-1 record in its first three SoCon matches is tied for the second-best SoCon start under head coach Matt Ginipro. The 2010 squad began the year 3-0.
• The Mountaineers are just 2-3 on the road this season but are 2-1 in their last three matches away from Boone.
• ASU is outhitting SoCon opponents .241 to .179 this season.
• The Apps have won 19 of their last 25 sets including three sweeps in their past seven matches.
• Appalachian entered the week ranked in the top 50 nationally in hitting percentage (42nd/.246), assists per set (48th/12.76) and kills per set (49th/13.66).
• In addition to the team's top-50 rankings, senior middle blocker Alison Blasingame ranks 71st nationally in hitting percentage (.342).
• Junior libero Courtney Rhein ranks 83rd nationally in digs per set (4.67 d/s)
• Appalachian is 2-3 in road matches this season, 3-3 in neutral site matches and 6-1 at home.
•The Mountaineers snapped a three-match SoCon road skid with their 3-1 win over UNCG last Sunday.
• ASU's victory over UNCG was its first road win over the Spartans since the 2007 season.
• As a team, ASU ranks second in the SoCon in hitting (.246) and assists (12.76 a/s).
• Appalachian features four players from the Kansas City area in Lauren Brown, Jessica Eley and the Sauls sisters (Kasey and Lindsey).
• The team also features another Kansas connection as first-year assistant coach Alex Kelly is also a Kansas City native.
• As seniors, Brown Eley and Lindsey Sauls all played club volleyball together for Mid-America Volleyball Club, the same club that Coach Kelly played for in high school.
Scouting the Opposition
Georgia Southern • 11-9 (3-1)
• Georgia Southern enters the weekend after downing North Florida in non-conference action on Wednesday.
• The Eagles dropped their last SoCon match to College of Charleston.
• GSU's loss on Sunday snapped a seven-match winning streak.
• The Eagles are the defending SoCon Tournament champions.
• Georgia Southern head coach Chad Callihan is no stranger to the Mountaineers as he served as ASU's head coach from 2003-06.
• Callihan led Appalachian to two-straight SoCon Tournament runner-up finishes in 2004 and 2005. He spent two seasons as the head coach at Radford before returning to the SoCon with GSU.
• The Eagles rank 71st nationally in digs per set (16.01 d/s) and 74th in kills per set (13.32 k/s).
• Georgia Southern also has one player ranked in the top-100 nationally in Katie Van Dyke. The junior setter ranks 87th in assists per set (10.22).
• The Eagles' offense is led by Bethany Sanford's team-high 3.22 kills per set.
• GSU ranks in the top five in the SoCon in just two categories: digs per set (4th/15.89) and blocks per set (5th/1.93).
• The Eagles currently sit in a second-place tie with Furman in the SoCon South.
• Georgia Southern is one game behind College of Charleston in the SoCon South.
Up Next
• Appalachian returns home for a midweek match against Western Carolina on Oct. 12.
•The Apps will also play host to Furman (Oct. 15) and Wofford (Oct. 16) before heading to College of Charleston (Oct. 21) and The Citadel (Oct. 22).
