BOONE, N.C. — App State Volleyball swept Coastal Carolina (25-19, 25-19, 25-23) on Friday in its Sun Belt Conference home opener at the Holmes Convocation Center, pushing its league record to 3-0.
Freshman Amelia Mancino anchored the offense, blasting a career-high 13 kills to shatter her previous high by 10.
The Mountaineers (10-7, 3-0 SBC) delivered a pristine defensive effort behind the server's line, refusing to yield a single service ace across all three sets while firing six of their own. Delanie Grevengoed keyed the serving attack with two aces, boosting her season total to 28.
App State set the tone in the opening frame, breaking open a 15-15 tie with a 10-4 closing run, capped by back-to-back errors from Coastal Carolina to seal the 25-19 win.
The second set featured high drama midway through. Trailing 17-16, App State successfully overturned a call via replay challenge, which was immediately followed by a successful Coastal Carolina challenge. Unfazed by the stoppages, App State responded with a 7-1 surge, highlighted by a service ace from Bella Dafforn and back-to-back kills from Grevengoed and Chelsea Gilmore, to pull away for another 25-19 victory.
The Chanticleers (4-8, 0-3 SBC) pushed hard in the third set, tying the score late at 23-23. However, Mancino put App State on match point with a clutch kill, and setter Raegan Richardson connected with Nevaeh Hays for the match-winning point to complete the sweep.
At the net, Gilmore paced App State's front-row defense with three blocks. Hays contributed eight kills on a team-leading .500 hitting percentage.
Libero MeMe Davis fueled the back row with 14 digs. Davis and Richardson continue to set the standard in the Sun Belt, leading the conference in digs and assists, respectively. Richardson dished out 34 assists on the evening.
App State returns to the court Saturday at 2 p.m. for a rematch against Coastal Carolina at the Holmes Convocation Center.
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