BOONE, N.C. – The App State volleyball team wrapped its 2024 home slate with a 3-2 (25-17, 25-21, 24-26, 23-25, 15-10) victory over Marshall on Saturday for Senior Day. The Mountaineers rose to 16-7 (10-2 SBC) and clinched the Sun Belt East Division title after sweeping Marshall on Friday.
"What a great way to finish out our home slate with a five-set thriller," said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. "I'm so proud of how hard this team fights, it's special. It was also so special to be able to honor our seniors tonight for the legacy and impact they have on our program."
The Mountaineers honored graduating seniors
Lulu Ambrose,
Cierra Huntley, and
Lauren Pledger after the match.
App State 3, Marshall 2
Sophomore
Ava Leahy led the Mountaineers with a career and team high 22 kills. She also recorded a hitting percentage of .459 on the afternoon and made a team high six blocks. Following Leahy in the kills category was junior
Maya Winterhoff, who made 13 kills and posted a hitting percentage of .407. In the assists category, redshirt junior
Addison Heidemann led the Mountaineers, accounting for 61 of App State's 64 assists on the day. Winterhoff, Heidemann, and Ambrose combined for six of the Black and Gold's aces, each serving up two. Freshman
Elise Marchal led the team with 17 digs, followed by junior
Kenady Roper who tallied 13 digs.
App State outpaced Marshall in kills (71-55), aces (8-3), assists (64-48), and digs (70-68).
Marchal slammed down the opening kill of the match for the Mountaineers. Marshall only managed to tie the score once at 2-2 before App State took control of the lead with a kill and ace from Marchal. The Mountaineers pulled ahead, 10-7, after kills from Pledger, Heidemann, and Marchal, as well as a block from the duo of Marchal and Leahy. A block from freshman
Bella Hutchens and Leahy, a pair of Hutchens kills, and a block from Winterhoff and Marchal put App State up 16-11. A trio of kills from Ambrose pushed App State ahead, 20-15. Hutchens made back-to-back kills to extend App State's lead to 23-16. Despite a Marshall kill, Heidemann set Winterhoff up for back-to-back kills to clinch the set, 25-17. The Mountaineers held the Thundering Herd to eight kills over the course of the set.
The Mountaineers and Thundering Herd knotted the score 10 times and swapped the lead four times over the course of the second set. App State established an early 4-1 lead after a Marshall error, a pair of kills from Marchal, and a solo block from Leahy. Marshall managed to take a 6-5 edge, but the Mountaineers fought point-for-point to take a 15-13 lead after a kill from Leahy and an ace from Ambrose. The Mountaineers broke an 18-18 tie after Winterhoff, Ambrose, and Leahy slammed down kills, pushing App State ahead, 22-18. Heidemann set Leahy up for a kill to bring App State to set point, 24-19. Despite holding App State to two set points, a kill from Ambrose sealed the set for the Mountaineers, 25-21.
The Mountaineers took an early 5-1 lead in the third set after a Marshall error, kills from Marchal and Leahy, and a pair of Winterhoff aces. With kills from Ambrose, Leahy, and Hutchens, App State extended its lead to 10-7, but Marshall found momentum with a 5-0 run to edge ahead, 12-10. The Mountaineers chipped away at the deficit with kills from Winterhoff and Leahy, but Marshall pulled ahead, 21-16. With a pair of Winterhoff kills, a Marshall error, and a Heidemann ace, App State cut the deficit to one (21-20). Marshall reached set point at 24-21, but the Mountaineers went on a 3-0 run after a pair of Marshall errors, and a Leahy kill. Marshall managed to edge ahead, 26-24, to take the set.
In the fourth set, App State and Marshall tied on four occasions and traded the lead twice. Despite an early 9-5 lead from the Herd, Roper and Heidemann served up aces and Winterhoff made a kill to cut the deficit to one (10-9). Marshall managed to pull ahead, 21-15, but the Mountaineers answered with a 4-0 run that included kills from Leahy and Hutchens, to come within two of Marshall's lead (21-19). As Marshall reached set point, 24-21, the Black and Gold managed to hold the Herd to two set points after a kill from Marchal and a block from the duo of Marchal and Winterhoff, but it wasn't enough as a kill from the Thundering Herd sealed the set for Marshall, 25-23.
Tied at two sets apiece, the Mountaineers and Thundering Herd fought point-for-point and knotted the score four times early in the fifth and final set. A kill from Marchal and a Marshall error tied things up at five all. Marshall edged ahead, 6-5, but App State answered with a 5-0 run that featured a solo block and pair of kills from Leahy to take a 10-6 lead. The Mountaineers kept the lead for the remainder of the match as Leahy made a kill, Ambrose served up an ace, and Hutchens made a kill to keep App State ahead, 13-9. Heidemann set Winterhoff up for a kill to bring App State to set and match point and a block from the duo of Hutchens and Winterhoff clinched the set, 15-10, and match, 3-2, for the Mountaineers. App State held the Thundering Herd to a mere six kills in the fifth set.
Looking Ahead
The Mountaineers will close out the regular season with a pair of matches against Troy in Troy, Ala. on Nov. 14 and 15. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) and will be available to stream on ESPN+.
