DAVIDSON, N.C. – The App State volleyball team fell to Wake Forest in a hard-fought five sets, 3-2 (25-17, 21-25, 27-25, 20-25, 12-15), closing out competition at the Davidson Tournament on Friday.
"We played incredibly hard this weekend against two great teams," said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. "I loved our mentality and our fight, even though we came up short. This team is special and I'm proud of how we finished our non-conference schedule."
Wake Forest 3, App State 2
Sophomore Maya Winterhoff posted a career and team high 19 kills and a hitting percentage of .621 against the Demon Deacons. Winterhoff also totaled seven blocks (two solo, five assists). Redshirt freshman Katie Cruise recorded 23 assists, while senior Sophie Cain posted 20 assists and 20 digs for her fourth double-double on the season. Sophomore Kenady Roper and fifth-year senior McCall Denny each tallied 15 digs. App State led Wake Forest in aces with nine.
App State and Wake Forest fought through a tight first set, until App State went on a 6-0 scoring run that included a kill and block from Winterhoff, block from Winterhoff/freshman Delanie Grevengoed, and ace from Roper, that brought the Mountaineers to a 22-15 lead. Up 22-17, App State took the first set, 25-17, after a kill from Winterhoff and a pair of Wake Forest errors.
Early in the second set, App State jumped to a 4-1 lead, which included kills from Winterhoff and Denny, as well as an ace from Cain. The Black and Gold extended the deficit to 7-2 after kills from freshman Ava Leahy and Winterhoff, as well as an ace from Denny. Wake Forest fought back, closing in on App State at 12-11, but the Mountaineers went on a 4-0 run to extend their lead to 16-11. The Demon Deacons went on a 5-0 run to tie things up at 19 all. Wake Forest went on an unanswered 5-0 run after App State took a 21-20 lead. Wake Forest clinched the set, 25-21.
In the third set, the Mountaineers and Demon Deacons battled point-for-point, neither going on runs longer than three consecutive points. Wake Forest took a 19-14 lead, but App State battled back to close the deficit to 19-17 after a kill from junior Lulu Ambrose, block from Ambrose/freshman Akila Hardie, and ace from Cruise. App State continued to keep pace with Wake Forest late in the set, meeting the Demon Deacons at 23 all. App State managed to take the set, 27-25, after a kill from Ambrose and Wake Forest error.
App State and Wake Forest fought through a tight fourth set, the duo meeting at 19 all. Wake Forest took a 22-19 lead. Grevengoed mustered a kill before Wake Forest wrapped the set, 25-20.
In the fifth and final set, Wake Forest jumped to an early 6-1 lead. App State erased the deficit with a 6-0 run that included a trio of kills from senior Madison Baldridge and a trio of kills from Winterhoff, to take an 8-7 lead. Wake Forest answered with a 5-0 run to take a 12-8 lead. Back-to-back kills from Ambrose and a Cruise ace brought App State within one (13-12), but Wake Forest took the set, 15-12, and the match, 3-2.
Up Next
App State returns to Boone to host James Madison in its Sun Belt opener on Sept. 22 and 23. Friday's match is set for 6 p.m. and will be Youth Team Day. Free ice cream will be available for students and the bounce house will make a return to the Fan Zone. Saturday's 1 p.m. match will be Bingo Day. Volleyball bingo cards will be available for fans. There will also be a food drive for the Hunger and Health Coalition. Fans are encouraged to bring canned foods and non-perishable items.
