BOONE, N.C. - The App State volleyball team is set to open the season with the Mountaineer Classic at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone. The Mountaineers will host William & Mary, Bellarmine, and Tennessee Tech. All matches of the Mountaineer Classic will be available to stream on ESPN+.
App State will hit the court twice on Friday starting with its season opener at 12:30 p.m. against William & Mary. The Mountaineers will then take on Bellarmine in the 6:30 p.m. match. The Black & Gold will return to the court on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. to close out the tournament against Tennessee Tech. The full tournament schedule can be found below.
Friday evening's 6:30 p.m. match will be Student Appreciation Day, where the first 50 students will receive a free t-shirt. The Fan Zone returns for Friday's 6:30 p.m. match and will feature a bounce house. The Fan Zone will also be available at Saturday's 1:30 p.m. match. Fans are encouraged to park in the Hill Street lot for Friday's matinee match, and either Hill Street, Jet, and River's Street parking deck for Friday's evening match and Saturday's matches.
2022 Season Rewind
App State went 18-10 (11-5 SBC) in head coach
Sarah Rumely Noble's first year on the mountain. The Mountaineers won 11 of 12 matches between Oct. 6 to Nov. 12, marking their best stretch of play since a program-record-tying 16 straight wins during the 2015 season.
The Mountaineers return 15 of 17 players from the 2022 squad, including second-team All-SBC and Preseason All-SBC selections
McCall Denny and
Maya Winterhoff. Denny, a six-rotation player, led the team in kills (347) and was second on the team in aces (34) and digs (259) last fall, while Winterhoff tallied a team-high 39 aces and 102 blocks in her freshman season. Winterhoff also tallied 253 kills and was ranked third in the Sun Belt for hitting percentage (.376) and sixth (.331) in league play.
Joining the Mountaineers this year are freshmen
Ava Leahy,
Akila Hardie,
Caroline Farthing,
Taylor McNear, and
Delanie Grevengoed.
Scouting the Tournament Field
App State vs. William & Mary | Friday | 12:30 p.m. | ESPN+
The Mountaineers have met William & Mary four times in program history, last meeting on Aug. 28, 2011. On that date, App State clinched their first win against the Tribe after a five-set thriller in Boone.
Junior Eleanor Stothoff led the Tribe in the kills category last season, tallying 284. Also returning is senior Sabrina Malcolm, who served up a team-high 23 aces on the year. Malcolm also tied with sophomore Ryann Love for the team's most blocks (80).
William & Mary went 12-14 (6-10 CAA) last fall.
App State vs. Bellarmine | Friday | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN+
The Black and Gold have only met Bellarmine on two occasions: on Oct. 29, 1983 and more recently on Sept. 11, 2021. The Knights have a 2-0 series advantage over the Mountaineers.
Returning for her senior season is Anna Lococo, who posted a team-high 439 digs last season. Senior Macie Garrison, also returns after posting the second-most assists (364) on the team last year. Bellarmine's top blocker during the 2022 campaign, Jayda Harris, is also back in the scarlet and sliver for her junior season.
Last season Bellarmine went 10-18 (4-12 ASUN).
App State vs. Tennessee Tech | Saturday | 1:30 p.m. | ESPN+
App State has a 4-2 edge in its series against Tennessee Tech. The Mountaineers have won their last two matches against the Golden Eagles, including a 3-0 sweep from their last meeting on Aug. 30, 2014.
Tennessee Tech's 2022 leader in the kills category (368) and aces category (40), Madolyn Isringhausen, returns for her junior season. With a whopping 1,085 assists as a freshman, Jordan Karlen is back in the purple and gold threads for her sophomore year. The Golden Eagles' digs leader, junior McKenna Young, returns after posting 431 digs last fall.
Tennessee Tech went 17-14 (14-4 OVC) during the 2022 campaign.
Full Mountaineer Classic Tournament Schedule & Links
Friday, Aug. 25
10 AM - Bellarmine vs. Tennessee Tech (
Stats,
Watch)
12:30 PM - App State vs. William & Mary (
Stats,
Watch)
4 PM - William & Mary vs. Tennessee Tech (
Stats,
Watch)
6:30 PM - App State vs. Bellarmine (
Stats,
Watch)
Saturday, Aug. 26
11 AM - William & Mary vs. Bellarmine (
Stats,
Watch)
1:30 PM - App State vs. Tennessee Tech (
Stats,
Watch)
