Volleyball Set to Open Regular Season with Charlotte Invitational

BOONE, N.C. - The App State volleyball team is set to open the 2026 campaign in Charlotte, N.C., at the Charlotte Invitational. The Mountaineers will open tournament play against NC A&T on Friday at 3 p.m. Saturday's action will feature a 5 p.m. match against host Charlotte, followed by an 11 a.m. clash on Sunday with Bryant. Saturday's evening match against Charlotte will be available to stream on ESPN+.
 
2025 Season Review
App State went 15-12 (6-10 SBC) last fall. Over the course of the season, the Mountaineers tallied six five-set victories and went on a six-match win streak from Aug. 29 to Sept. 6. Additionally, the season was highlighted by the Black and Gold's first program victory over Virginia and another ACC win against Duke.
 
Roster Review
Six Mountaineers return from the 2025 roster, led by libero MeMe Davis and middle blocker Lou Johnson, who both ranked among the Sun Belt leaders in their respective areas.
 
Davis surpassed 1,000 career digs on Nov. 1 against Georgia State and recorded double-figure digs in all 27 matches. She averaged 4.13 digs per set, ranking sixth in the Sun Belt, and added 1.03 assists per set. Davis also recorded two double-doubles.
 
Johnson ranked sixth in the Sun Belt with a .324 hitting percentage, averaging 1.53 kills per set. She recorded a career-high 13 kills against James Madison and posted a .800 hitting percentage twice during the season.
 
App State added 11 newcomers for the 2026 campaign, highlighted by senior Chelsea Gilmore, who joined the Mountaineers after two seasons at Louisiana. Starting in 25 matches, Gilmore ranked fourth in the Sun Belt with a .346 hitting percentage.
 
Graduate student Brooke Doherty arrives from Mississippi State after previous stints at South Carolina and Elon. She helped South Carolina reach the 2024 NCAA Tournament and appeared in 10 matches for Mississippi State in 2025.
 
Junior Raegan Richardson joins App State from South Florida after earning AAC Setter of the Week honors in 2025. She also earned three ASUN Freshman of the Week honors and was named to the ASUN All-Freshman Team at FGCU in 2024.
 
Sophomore Charlotte Thompson joins the Black and Gold from Mercer, where she earned SoCon First Team honors and was named SoCon Freshman of the Year.
 
The Mountaineers also welcome freshmen Eva Goodson, Lexi Shondell, Molly Teague, Amber McClain, Amelia Mancino, Neveah Hays and Iris Williams.
 
Scouting the Tournament Field
App State vs. NC A&T | Friday | 3:00 pm
Friday's match will mark the first meeting between App State and N.C. A&T since 2023. The Mountaineers lead the all-time series, 10-0, with the most recent meeting coming on Sept. 7, 2023.
 
Under head coach Hal Clifton, the Aggies went 15-12 (10-6 CAA) last fall and advanced to the CAA Volleyball Championship semifinals. A&T earned a 3-0 quarterfinal victory over Charleston before falling to top-seeded Hofstra in the semifinals.
 
App State at Charlotte | Saturday | 5:00 pm | ESPN+
Charlotte will open tournament play Friday at 6 p.m. against Bryant before facing the Mountaineers at 5 p.m. Saturday. App State leads the all-time series against the 49ers, 19-17, with the teams last meeting on Sept. 10, 2021, in Boone.
 
Charlotte finished 17-12 (8-8 American) last fall in its first season under head coach Benavia Jenkins. The 49ers improved their win total by 12 from the previous season and put together a 10-match winning streak, including a stretch in which they won 14 of 15 matches. Charlotte went on to earn its first American Conference Tournament appearance since joining the league.
 
App State vs. Bryant | Sunday | 11:00 AM
The Mountaineers and Bulldogs will cap competition in Charleston in the Charlotte Invitational's penultimate match Sunday at 11 a.m. This will be the first match played between App State and Bryant.
 
Bryant went 16-12 (7-3 America East) last fall, earning a share of the America East regular-season title before falling to UAlbany in the conference tournament semifinals. The Bulldogs enter the 2026 season looking to build on their first regular-season conference championship.
 
On the Horizon
The Mountaineers will face ECU on Sept. 4, UNCG on Sept.5 and Clemson on Sept. 6 at the Clemson Invitational in Clemson, S.C. Sunday's match will be streamed on ACCNX and live stats will be available for all matches.