BOONE, N.C. - The App State volleyball team is set to clash with Georgia State in the Holmes Convocation Center on Friday and Saturday. Both matches will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Friday's 6 p.m. match will be Pink Day. There will be a pink stress ball and wristband giveaway for the first 100 fans. The volleyball team will also be selling pink shirts and donating the funds to the High Country Breast Cancer Foundation. Fans are encouraged to wear pink with an opportunity to win a prize for the most creative pink outfit. Sophomore
Kenady Roper's mother, Nicole Roper, will make the honorary first serve of the match.
Saturday's 1 p.m. match will be Season Ticket Holder and Officials Appreciation Day. The Mountaineers and Panthers will also be recognizing the officials for the AVCA's Officials Appreciation Week. Students will also be able to check in for Yikas Rewards prize pick up at the match.
Last Time Out
App State returns to Boone after a pair of losses in Conway, S.C. On Sept. 29, App State fell, 3-0, to Coastal Carolina. Fifth year senior
McCall Denny lead the Mountaineers in the kills category with eight. Sophomore
Kenady Roper had the team high in the aces and digs categories. Senior
Sophie Cain posted a team-high 12 assists while junior
Lauren Pledger and freshman
Delanie Grevengoed each tallied three blocks. App State outpaced Coastal Carolina in the aces category (5-4) and blocks category (6-2).
Returning to the court on Sept. 30, App State fell short, 3-1, to the Chanticleers. Denny recorded her 25th career double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs. Cain and redshirt freshman
Katie Cruise both posted 19 assists. Sophomore
Maya Winterhoff and freshman
Ava Leahy both tallied four blocks apiece. Sophomore
Kenady Roper led the team in the digs category with 21.
Ranked Mountaineers
Winterhoff leads the Sun Belt in blocks per set (1.32), total blocks (75), and hitting percentage (.375). She also ranks 21st in the NCAA for total blocks and amid the top-35 for blocks per set.
App State leads the league and stands 23rd in the NCAA in blocks per set (2.61). The Mountaineers also rank second in the SBC and 34th in the NCAA for team total blocks (149). In conference only play, App State stands third in the league for blocks (36), fourth for aces (21), and fifth for digs (244).
Scouting Georgia State
App State last met Georgia State a year ago to the day in Atlanta, Ga. The Black and Gold won both five-set thrillers. The pair of victories marked the start of the Black and Gold's 11-1 streak that spanned from Oct. 6 to Nov. 12, 2022, which had been the Mountaineers' best stretch of play since 2015.
Three Panthers have tallied over 100 kills so far this season, with Erin Wyatt leading the way with 118, followed by Jahniya Jackson (115) and Izzy Durnell (107). Jackson has a team high 18 aces on the season, while Akira Burt leads the team in blocks with 55 (11 solo, 44 assists). Laughlin Murray leads Georgia State in the assists category with 226, while Livy Kowalkowski leads in the digs category with 300.
Georgia State is 4-11 (1-3 SBC) and are coming to Boone off their first SBC win of the season, having edged past Marshall, 3-2, on Sept. 29. In non-conference action, the Panthers recorded sweeps of South Carolina State (Aug. 25) and Elon (Sept. 1) as well as a 3-1 win over New Orleans (Aug. 25).
ON DECK
App State will host ULM on Oct. 13 and 14. Friday's match is set for 6 p.m. and will be Halloween themed. At Saturday's 1 p.m. match, the Mountaineers will be honoring seniors
Meghan Dombrowski,
McCall Denny,
Alec Quinn,
Sophie Cain, and
Madison Baldridge.
