BOONE, N.C. - The App State volleyball team (7-1) is set to travel to Chapel Hill for a matchup against No. 25 UNC (5-1) on Tuesday. First serve is set for 6 p.m. and the match will be available to stream on ACCNX.
Last Time Out
App State went 1-1 at the Kennesaw State Invitational on Sept. 12 and 13. In their first clash with Michigan State, the Mountaineers fell short in a tight five-set battle with the Spartans on Friday. Senior
Ali Morris, redshirt sophomore
Delanie Grevengoed, senior
Maya Winterhoff, and sophomore
Bella Hutchens combined for 47 of App State's 60 kills. Winterhoff also recorded a hitting percentage of .450 and made a team-high six blocks. Redshirt senior
Addison Heidemann registered her 13th career double-double with 31 assists and 14 digs, while sophomore
MeMe Davis led the team with 16 digs.
The Mountaineers bounced back for a five-set victory over Kennesaw State on Saturday. With a team-high 15 kills and 11 digs, Morris registered her 30th career double-double. Winterhoff also recorded a double-double with 10 kills and a career high 10 blocks (two solo, eight assists). Heidemann made 20 assists, followed by junior
Maria Contreras, who made 12 assists and went up for a career high seven blocks. Davis, who led the Mountaineers with 14 digs, served up four of App State's nine aces against the Owls. Saturday's win marked the Mountaineers' fifth five-set victory in the 2025 campaign.
Mountaineer Leaders
Winterhoff climbed to seventh nationally and remains the Sun Belt's leader in hitting percentage (.478). She has 102 kills (2.83 k/s) through eight matches. Additionally, Winterhoff is the Mountaineers' top blocker with 46 (eight solo, 38 assists) and top server with 11 aces. She ranks second in the SBC and 22nd nationally in total blocks. Heidemann leads the team with 244 assists (6.78 a/s) and ranks fourth in the league in the assists category. Davis has a team-high 126 digs, averaging 3.5 digs per set. App State ranks 41st nationally and second in the SBC in total blocks (83). The Mountaineers also stand second in the league in aces (58) and third in blocks per set (2.31) and assists (403).
Series History vs. UNC
App State and North Carolina have met on 32 occasions dating back to 1972, with the Tar Heels leading the series 30-2. The Mountaineers fell short in three sets to the Tar Heels in their last meeting on Feb. 18, 2021. McCall Denny made a team-high 15 kills, while Sam Bickley made a team-high 23 assists. Leading the team in digs was Emma Reilly with eight.
Scouting UNC
UNC is 5-1 on the season and enters Tuesday's contest ranked 25th in the AVCA Coaches Poll for a second consecutive week. The Tar Heels suffered their first setback of the season after falling short in five sets to South Carolina (which is under the direction of previous App State head coach Sarah Rumely Noble). UNC, which made an appearance in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, opened the 2025 campaign with a trio of 3-1 victories over Maryland (Aug. 30), Coastal Carolina (Aug. 31), and Bucknell (Sept. 5). The Tar Heels also posted sweeps against Oral Roberts (Sept. 7) and No. 11 Florida (Sept. 9). UNC ranks fourth in the ACC and 31st in the NCAA in hitting percentage (.278).
Juniors Safi Hampton and Hailey Pearce are UNC's top attackers, leading the Tar Heels with 69 kills (3.45 k/s) and 68 kills (2.96 k/s), respectively. Fellow junior Zoe Behrendt has a team-high 129 assists on the season, averaging 5.86 assists per set. Leading UNC in the digs category is senior Maddy May with 79 digs (3.43 d/s). Sophomore Jackie Taylor leads the team with 26 blocks (two solo, 24 assists). Taylor matches fellow sophomore Julia Bohlinger in the aces category, each serving up five this fall.
On the Horizon
App State will host Duke and Davidson for the Mountaineer Classic on Sept. 19-21. The Mountaineers will clash with Duke at 6 p.m. on Friday for Alumni Night. Duke and Davidson will play at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Mountaineers will close competition at their home tournament with a 2 p.m. match against Davidson on Sunday. All three matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
