BOONE, N.C. -- App State volleyball will open the 2021 season by hosting the Appalachian Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The Mountaineers battle Eastern Kentucky on Friday at 7 p.m. and take on Radford and UNCG on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. All three contests can be seen on ESPN+.
MASK POLICY
Face coverings are required in all indoor spaces on campus for students, faculty, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status you are actively eating or drinking.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
- App State welcomes back 14 players from last season's squad.
- Emma Reilly returns for a fifth-season and has her sights set on continuing her climb up the record book. Reilly enters the season ranked fifth in program history in career digs with 1,677 and is just 193 of passing Courtney Rhein for the school record. Reilly also sits fourth all-time in service aces and is just 61 aces shy of passing Kim Nelson for the school record.
- Also returning for the Mountaineers is McCall Denny. She was second on the team last season with 81 kills (2.13 k/s) and was fourth on the roster with 74 digs (1.95 d/s).
- Also back is Victoria Wilform, who tallied 55 kills (1.62 k/s) last season, and Anna Kincaid, who had 37 kills (1.77 k/s) on a team-best .211 hitting percentage.
- Sophie Cain (281 assists; 6.30 a/s) and Sam Bickly (181 assists; 5.84 a/s) both return after dishing out over 150 assists last season.
SCOUTING EASTERN KENTUCKY
- This will be the fourth meeting between the Mountaineers and Colonels, with Eastern Kentucky leading 2-1.
- Eastern Kentucky went 2-14 during a conference only schedule during the spring of 2021.
- Molly Michalak led the team with an average of 3.29 kills per set as a freshman in the spring. She also contributed 2.68 digs per set. Michalak earned first team all-conference honors.
- Audrey Eurton led the team with 9.36 assists per set in the spring, but will miss the fall season with an injury.
- Â Sydney Schoen had a team-best 241 digs (3.89 d/s), while Maddy Campbell posted a team leading 46 blocks.
SCOUTING RADFORD
- This will be the 18th meeting between the two schools, with App State leading 10-7.
- Radford went 3-13 in a spring conference only schedule.
- Samanta Reitz and Hailey Flowers both return after tallying over 100 kills each last season. Reitz finished with a team-best 119 kills (2.09 k/s), while Flowers finished with 106 (2.30 ki/s).
- Defensvilely, Grace Green returns after posting a team-high 168 digs (3.11 d/s) and 15 service aces. Shelby Hernandez (82 digs; 2.05 d/s) also returns for the Highlanders.
SCOUTING UNCG
- App State holds a 29-23 edge in the all-time series with the Spartans.
- UNCG finished with a 2-15 mark in the 2020-21 season, going 2-14 in SoCon play.
- Gabriela McHugh led the Spartans in assists last season with 354. During her two seasons at UNCG, McHugh has totaled 1,481.
- Defensive specialist Jenna Wiggs led the Blue and Gold with 222 digs. Amanda Garvens, another defensive specialist, registered 197 digs.
- Hannah Knier (113) and Brittany Wood (103) both registered over 100 kills last season.
UP NEXT
App State will host its second straight tournament on Sept. 3 and 4 in the Holmes Convocation Center, hosting Kansas City (12:30 p.m.) and Old Dominion (7 p.m.) on Sept. 3 and ETSU (1:30 p.m.) on Sept. 4.
