BOONE, N.C. - The App State volleyball team is set to open the 2025 campaign in Charleston, S.C. at the C of C Classic. The Mountaineers will open tournament play against Mercer on Friday at 4:30 p.m. Saturday's action will feature an 11 a.m. match against host College of Charleston before a 4:30 p.m. clash with Eastern Kentucky. Saturday's morning match against College of Charleston will be available to stream on FloCollege.
2024 Season Review
App State went 18-10 (11-3 SBC) last fall. For the first time since 2018, the Mountaineers earned the SBC East Division regular season title and made an appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). Over the course of the season, the Mountaineers tallied nine five-set victories and went on a seven-match win-streak from Oct. 24 to Nov. 14. Additionally, the 2024 season was highlighted by the program's first pair of victories over James Madison since the Dukes joined the league in 2022, as well as the program's first pair of wins over Coastal Carolina since 2018.
A New Era
Chad Sutton was announced as the program's 10th head coach on April 11, 2025. Sutton, who boasts a career record of 42-19, came to App State after a record-setting head coaching tenure at Mercer. He led the Bears to their best record in program history (26-7), the program's first outright SoCon regular season title, and first postseason appearance in the NIVC Tournament last fall. He also guided Skye Ekes to SoCon Player of the Year accolades and
Brooke Phillips, who now serves as an assistant coach on the Mountaineers' staff, to SoCon Setter of the Year honors.
Roster Review
Eight Mountaineers return from the 2024 roster, led by senior
Maya Winterhoff and redshirt senior
Addison Heidemann. Winterhoff and Heidemann both collected 2025 Preseason All-SBC honors this year. Heidemann led the team in the assists category, tallying 906 of her 941 career assists and notching a team-high 11 double-doubles last fall. She finished the season ranked third in the league in assists per set (8.88). Winterhoff, who collected an AVCA East Coast Region honorable mention, led the Sun Belt in hitting percentage (.372). She also led the Mountaineers with 319 kills (2.85 k/s) and 108 blocks (18 solo, 90 assists).
The Mountaineers added six to their ranks for the 2025 campaign. Senior
Keionna Mackey is no stranger to the Sun Belt and joins the Mountaineers after a season at Georgia State. Mackey led the Panthers in kills, tallying 351 (3.03 k/s) last fall.
Ali Morris also joins the Mountaineers' senior class after three seasons at Western Carolina, where she tallied 28 career double-doubles and averaged 3.20 kills per set, as well as 3.66 digs per set. Sophomores
MeMe Davis and
Lou Johnson both join the Black and Gold after spending their freshmen seasons at Mercer. The duo were 2024 SoCon All-Freshman Team selections for their efforts on the court in Macon, Ga. The Mountaineers are also joined by junior
Maria Contreras and true freshman
Bella Dafforn.
Scouting the Tournament Field
App State vs. Mercer | Friday | 4:30 p.m.
Prior to their clash with App State, Mercer will open tournament play on Friday morning against EKU, under the direction of first year head coach Steve Benson. App State leads its series against Mercer, 4-0, and last met the Bears on Sept. 16, 2017 at the Charleston Invitational.
Last fall, Mercer, under the direction of Sutton, went 24-7 (14-2 SoCon) and was named 2024 SoCon Regular Season Champion. The Bears made an appearance in the NIVC Tournament, where they clashed with UConn in the first round. Mercer tallied 14 sweeps and a quartet of five-set victories in 2024. Seven Bears return from last season's squad, led by Sophia Henry, who collected SoCon Preseason All-Conference honors. Henry, who was named to the 2024 SoCon All-Freshman Team, collected 226 kills, 41 blocks, and 39 digs last season.
App State at College of Charleston | Saturday | 11 a.m. | FloCollege
College of Charleston will open tournament play at 7 p.m. on Friday against EKU before facing the Mountaineers at 11 a.m. on Saturday. In the series between the Cougars and Mountaineers, C of C leads, 24-9. The Mountaineers and Cougars last met on Sept. 15, 2017 in Charleston.
College of Charleston went 25-9 (15-3 CAA) last fall and made an appearance in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before falling short to No. 17 ranked Utah. The 2024 campaign marked the seventh time in program history that the Cougars won both the regular season and conference tournament titles in the same season. In the 2025 Preseason Coaches Poll, the Cougars were picked first with 92 points and five first-place votes. Deanna Dollar, who is one of seven Cougars who return from last season's CAA championship squad, earned a Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention. Dollar played a key role in the Cougars' CAA Tournament run, tallying 17 kills, nine digs, and eight blocks to help the Cougars clinch the conference crown.
App State vs. Eastern Kentucky | Saturday | 4:30 p.m.
The Mountaineers and Colonels will each cap competition in Charleston in the C of C Classic's penultimate match on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. App State is 2-2 against Eastern Kentucky, last meeting the Colonels on Sept. 3, 2022.
EKU went 21-10 (11-5 ASUN) last fall. As the No. 4 seed in the Atlantic Sun Tournament, the Colonels fell short to No. 1 seed Florida Gulf Coast in the semifinal round. Over the course of the regular season, EKU tallied 11 sweeps as well as a trio of five-set victories. Returning for her senior season is Carson Ledford, who was tabbed to the 2025 Preseason All-ASUN Team. Last year, Ledford, an ASUN All-Tournament and All-ASUN Second Team selection, tallied 247 kills with a clip of .379, 107 blocks, and 25 aces. Nine Colonels return from the 2024 roster alongside Ledford. EKU was picked third in the league's 2025 preseason coaches poll.
On the Horizon
The Mountaineers will return to Boone to host Elon for their home opener at the Holmes Convocation Center on Sept. 2. First serve is set for 6 p.m. Fans are encouraged to pack Holmes on Tuesday. There will be a free t-shirt giveaway for all fans and free food for students.
