TUCSON, AZ. -- Appalachian State volleyball dropped a 3-1 decision to Loyola Marymount in its final contest of the Cactus Classic on Saturday.
Kara Spicer paced the App State (1-2) offense with a match-high tying 16 kills, against just two errors, for a .467 hitting mark.
Emma Longley added her second straight double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs, while
Amya Giger tallied eight kills.
On defense,
Emma Reilly posted 25 digs, marking the third consecutive match she has had at least 20 digs.
Sydney Farthing added nine digs and
Sam Bickley had seven, to go along with 42 assists.
In the opening set, the Lions (1-2) broke a 6-6 tie with three straight points. App State countered with the next three points, only to see Loyola Marymount build a 15-11 lead. The Black and Gold pulled within two points at 16-14, but the Lions claimed the final six points of the opening set to win it 25-19.
Loyola Marymount continued its momentum in the second set, jumping out to a 5-0 lead. The Mountaineers battled back and tied the score at 16-16 and with the score knotted at 17-17, LMU won four straight points to open a 21-17 edge. The teams continued trading points with the Lions ultimately claiming the set 25-21.
The Black and Gold responded with a strong start in Set 3, getting a pair of kills from Longley, a kill from Spicer and a service ace from Farthing to take a 5-0 lead. LMU chipped away at the App State lead and tied the score at 12-12. Trailing 19-18, the Mountaineers scored three straight points to jump in front 21-19 and went on to force a fourth set by a 25-22 count.
The Lions jumped out to a 8-3 lead early in Set 4 and pushed their lead to 16-9. The Mountaineers pulled within three points at 24-21, but could get no closer as LMU posted the 3-1 victory.
Overall, App State hit .165 in the contest and finished with 50 kills.
The Mountaineers will compete again next weekend at the Duke Invitational. On Sept. 6, the Black and Gold will square off against UNCW at 10 a.m. and Wofford at 5 p.m., followed by a 2:30 p.m. showdown with host Duke on Sept. 7.
