BOONE, N.C. – The App State volleyball team closed out the Black & Gold Invitational with a thrilling five-set (16-25, 25-18, 17-25, 25-18, 15-12) victory over Wofford on Saturday.
"We played some really good volleyball this weekend and we grew as a team," said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. "I'm really proud of our composure and confidence in every moment through this weekend."
Junior
Kenady Roper and freshman
Elise Marchal earned spots on the Black & Gold Invitational All-Tournament Team for their efforts on the court. Marchal earned her first career double-double after leading the team with 13 kills and 12 digs against Clemson in addition to recording a hitting percentage of .542 on Thursday. She also recorded 14 digs and a hitting percentage of .474 against Winthrop, slamming down nine kills. Marchal totaled 30 kills, 39 digs, 11 blocks, and four aces on the weekend. Roper made 20 digs and six assists against Wofford. Over the course of the tournament, Roper totaled 34 digs, 10 assists, and two aces. The pair started all three matches and appeared in all three sets at the Black & Gold Invitational.
App State 3, Wofford 2
Junior
Maya Winterhoff led the Mountaineers in the kills category (15) and blocks category (nine) against the Terriers. She recorded a hitting percentage of .364 on the afternoon. Senior
Lulu Ambrose and sophomore
Ava Leahy each slammed down 13 kills for App State, which was a career high for Leahy. Freshman
Julianna Horta made a career high 47 assists in addition to 15 digs for her second career double-double. Roper led the team with 20 digs.
Early in the first set, the Mountaineers and Terriers knotted the score four times before Wofford took a commanding lead. The Mountaineers chipped away at Wofford's lead with kills from Leahy, Marchal, and Ambrose, but the Terriers continued to pull ahead. Winterhoff, Smith, Leahy, and Ambrose contributed kills late in the set, but it wasn't enough as Wofford took the set, 25-16.
The Mountaineers came back strong in the second set, jumping ahead, 6-2, with a five-point scoring run that marked the only lead change in the set. The 5-0 run included an ace from Marchal, a pair of kills from Ambrose, a kill from Winterhoff, and a block from the duo of Ambrose and Winterhoff. The Black and Gold extended its lead to 14-6 after back-to-back kills from Leahy, a solo block from Marchal, and an Ambrose kill. The Mountaineers steadily held the lead, clinching the set, 25-18, after a block from the duo of Winterhoff and Marchal and a kill from Ambrose. App State tallied 18 kills compared to Wofford's 11 over the course of the set.
Despite Wofford jumping to an early lead in the third set, the Mountaineers managed to knot the score five times. App State took a 7-6 edge with a 5-0 scoring run, building off kills from freshman
Maddie Smith and Winterhoff, as well as a block from the duo. The Terriers managed to edge ahead, 14-10, with a pair of 3-0 scoring runs, holding steadily to the lead to take the set, 25-17.
In the fourth set, App State and Wofford tied the score on eight occasions and traded the lead four times. The Black and Gold held Wofford to nine kills in the set, while slamming down 12. Breaking a 12-all tie with a 3-0 run that included a kill from Ambrose and a kill from Winterhoff, the Mountaineers managed to keep the Terriers at bay for the remainder of the set. App State found momentum in kills from Leahy, Smith, and Marchal, as well as a block from Marchal and Leahy to jump ahead, 22-17. After a Wofford error and kills from Marchal and Winterhoff, the Mountaineers took the set, 25-18, to push for a fifth set.
In the fifth and final set, App State established an early 6-1 lead with back-to-back kills from Leahy, a kill from Marchal, a kill from Ambrose, a Roper ace, and a block from the duo of WInterhoff and Marchal. The Mountaineers controlled the lead for the duration of play and held the Terriers to a mere six kills in the set. A 3-0 run that included a block from Horta and Winterhoff, followed by a kill from Smith, brought App State to an 11-7 lead. A Leahy kill and block from Marchal and Leahy put App State up, 13-11. Despite a last Wofford kill, the Mountaineers took the set, 15-12, and the match, 3-2, with a kill from Marchal and a Terrier error.
Looking Ahead
The Mountaineers will head to Winston-Salem, N.C. for the Wake Forest Invitational on Sept. 20 and 21. App State will clash with Wake Forest at 7 p.m. on Friday before taking on Davidson at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Full Mountaineer Classic Results
Thursday, Sept. 12
Wofford 3, Winthrop 0 |
Results
Clemson 3, App State 0 | Results
Friday, Sept. 13
Clemson 3, Wofford 2 |
Results
App State 3, Winthrop 0 | Results
Saturday, Sept. 14
Clemson 3, Winthrop 1 |
Results
App State 3, Wofford 2 | Results
Black & Gold Invitational All-Tournament Team
Elise Marchal - App State
Kenady Roper – App State
Mia McGrath – Clemson
Neea-Maria Joki - Clemson
Bradley Brown – Wofford
Ann Marie Rakoski - Wofford
Sophia Matthews - Winthrop
