Mountaineers Defeat Eagles in Three Sets
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State University volleyball got its second Sun Belt victory after defeating Georgia Southern in three sets with scores of 25-17, 26-14 and 25-18.
The Mountaineers (12-0, 2-0 Sun Belt) found a win over the Eagles (0-10, 0-2 Sun Belt), helping them to continue their undefeated record.
The Mountaineers jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the first set and continued to dominate for the rest of the set. The Apps scored seven-straight points, finding kills from Sloan Evans, Lauren Gray and Jess Keller to lead 15-6.
The Apps stayed in control, taking the first set 25-17.
Georgia Southern would take the early lead in the third set, finding seven points early on to Appalachian's four. The Mountaineers would tie the set at 10 and then take a lead, but the Eagles came back, tying the score five more times. With the score tied at 20, the Apps would have two attack errors to give the Eagles a 22-20 lead.
After a Mountaineer timeout the Apps would regain composure, scoring six of the next seven points to take the set 26-24.
Appalachian would score the first three points of the third set before the Eagles would come within one, making the score 6-5.
The Mountaineers scored five of the next six points to take an 11-6 lead. App State would remain in control of the rest of the set, taking the third 25-18 and winning the match 3-0.
Emily Corrigan led the Apps with 20 kills, followed by Keller's 10 kills and Evans' nine.
Paige Brown assisted 40 kills, while Meghan Mahoney notched 16 digs.
The Eagles were led by Catherine Murray's 12 kills and Kat Minnerly's 32 assists.
The Apps hit .300 on the match, while Georgia Southern hit .172. Appalachian had five blocks to the Eagle's two.
The Mountaineers return to action when they travel to Troy on Sunday for a 1 p.m. match.
Appalachian State Stays Undefeated, Tops Georgia Southern 3-0
STATESBORO, Ga. – Emily Corrigan put down 20 of Appalachian State’s 49 kills, and the Mountaineers remained undefeated by topping Georgia Southern 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-18) in Sun Belt volleyball action Friday night.
Cathrine Murray tallied 12 kills and four digs to lead Georgia Southern (0-11, 0-2), while Kym Coley finished with 11 kills. Megan Chevalier had seven kills, and Jamie DeRatt posted six kills and eight digs.
Corrigan hit .419 in the match and added nine digs for the Mountaineers (12-0, 2-0). Paige Brown collected 40 assists, and Meghan Mahoney logged 16 digs. Jess Keller tallied 10 kills, and Sloan Evans added nine.
With the Eagles trailing the match 1-0, DeRatt put down a kill to give Georgia Southern a 23-21 cushion in the second set. Keller and Evans recorded consecutive kills to rally the Mountaineers, who opened a 24-23 lead after an Eagle hitting error. A hitting error by the Mountaineers tied the score, but Evans and Corrigan posted consecutive kills to end the set and give App a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Apps scored the first three points of the third set and never trailed in the game. Leading 7-6, App scored four straight points and never led by less than three for the remainder of the set.
“We played pretty well at times but just made some mistakes at crucial times, which isn’t going to win you a match against a good team,” said Georgia Southern coach Dustin Wood. “The second set really hurt us. We’re a little young out there right now so we’re learning and adjusting to the pace of play.”
Georgia Southern plays host to Arkansas State Sunday, Sept. 21, at noon at Statesboro High, and admission is free for all fans.
UALR Block Party Helps Sweep Louisiana
LITTLE ROCK – UALR tormented the Louisiana offense at the net with 14 total team blocks to sweep the Ragin’ Cajuns 3-0 (25-18, 25-14, 25-17) on Friday night at the Jack Stephens Center.
The UALR block party was led by junior Edina Selimovic with a career-high 9 block assists, while senior Adisa Hodzic nearly met her total with one solo and seven assisted blocks. UALR’s season block leader, Carolee Dillard, also added four of her own with a solo and three assisted, giving her 59 blocks on the year.
UALR’s 14 team blocks is tied for the second-most blocks in a three-set match during the rally-scoring era. All that added up to the Ragin’ Cajuns hitting just .040 on the night and -.088 in the second set when the Trojans had seven total team blocks.
Junior Sonja Milanovic was UALR’s best all-around player, recording her 12th career double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs.
Senior Edina Begic continued her dominant performance by racking up a team-high 19 kills.
Setting up Begic and Milanovic for those kills was sophomore setter Megan Mathis who ended the night with 35 assists. Mathis now has 30 assists in at least six matches this season.
The Trojans started the first set on a 5-1 run before the Ragin’ Cajuns would come back to tie the set at 8-8. UALR would then score three straight points before being answered right back with three of Louisiana’s own. The Cajuns’ comeback would be part of a 6-1 run that would eventually give them a 14-12 lead. But UALR wasn’t done as it would then go on 5-1 run of its own to take the lead at 17-15. After a Louisiana timeout, UALR took the first set by going on an 8-4 run and got the deciding point on a Begic kill.
UALR carried its momentum going into the second set and never looked back. Five of the Trojans’ first seven points came off Cajun attack errors with nine errors by the visitors during the entire set. Toward the end of the frame, the Trojans led by as many as 12 points before sealing the set on a Milanovic slam to the floor.
Just like the second, the Trojans led the final set from the wire. Attack errors would again plague the Louisiana offense as it committed nine of its match-total 24 in the final set. UALR’s final two points of the match came on a setting error and an attack error by the Cajuns, and Begic had kills on three of the Trojans’ final six points of the set.
The Trojans return to action on Friday (Oct. 3) in Atlanta as they play host Georgia State before heading north to Boone, N.C., to take on new Sun Belt opponent Appalachian State on Sunday (Oct.5).
UALR Takes Down Ragin’ Cajuns
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The UALR Trojans hit .344 and handed the Ragin’ Cajuns its second straight loss, 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-17), on Friday at the Jack Stephens Center.
Louisiana (10-2, 0-2 SBC) had its toughest match of the season offensively, hitting just .040 for the match. Meanwhile, the Trojans (8-4, 2-0 SBC) hit .322 on the night, the highest by a Cajun opponent this year.
Sara Mossakowski led UL with seven kills on the night and Abby Filce added six kills and three blocks. Andrea Hole picked up her ninth double-double of the year with 25 assists and a team-high 11 digs.
UL stayed with the Trojans in the opening set until a late 5-1 UALR run pushed it to a set-point try, and two points later Edina Begic scored one of her match-high 19 kills to close out the set.
The Cajuns hit just -.088 in the second set, getting two kills from Mossakowski and Filce. On the flip side, UALR got seven kills from Begic in the set and led by as much as eight points midway through the frame before five straight points put the set out of reach at 23-11 on their way to a 25-14 win.
In the third set, the Ragin’ Cajuns had a one-point lead as late as the 15-14 point before the Trojans went on an 6-1 run to stake itself to a 19-16 advantage. A Filce kill got the Cajuns back to within two points, but that was as close as the Trojans allowed UL to get, hitting .344 in the final set on its way to a match-clinching 25-19 edge.
The Cajuns continue their road trip on Sunday with a noon match at UT Arlington.
UTA takes down Troy in five sets
ARLINGTON, Texas - Each of the previous three meetings between UT Arlington and Troy had gone five sets and Friday night's match at College Park Center was no different as the Mavericks came out on top 17-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-12, 17-15.
Freshman OH Qiana Canete recorded her eighth straight double-double in the victory with 12 kills and 19 digs. Taylor Gross led the team in kills with 13 and a hitting percentage of .276. Hannah Baptiste and Stacey Koch also got in the action as the two players recorded 12 kills each. Caitlyn Cooney did her part in the win as she recorded her second double-double of the season with 13 assists and 20 digs.
The Mavs ended the match with a hitting percentage of .249 while holding the Trojans to just .115 hitting. UTA also had the advantage at the net as it recorded 13 blocks compared to nine for Troy.
The Mavericks will return to action on Sunday when they host Louisiana at College Park Center with the match slated to begin at 12 p.m.
Troy Drops Five-Set Road Match
ARLINGTON, Texas – The Troy volleyball team continued one of the tightest series in the Sun Belt on Friday night with a five-set loss at UT Arlington, 3-2 (17-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-12, 17-15), at the College Park Center.
Troy and UT Arlington played three five-set matches a season ago, and have now played five sets in all four of the meetings between the two schools. Troy (9-5, 1-1) won the first and third sets of the match, but UT Arlington rolled through the fourth set and took the momentum into a tight fifth set.
UT Arlington (11-3, 1-1) hit .433 in the fifth set with 13 kills and no errors on its way to a 17-15 win to clinch the match. Troy and UT Arlington have a history of tight fifth sets, including a 22-20 fifth set that the Mavericks won in the Sun Belt Championships semifinals a year ago.
Troy was led on Friday night by Blair Winston who posted 18 kills and hit .245 on 49 attempts. Symone Shaw was also in double figures with 14 kills while Tineille Waggoner posted 40 assists for a Troy team that hit .115.
Ali Dowdall recorded a career-high 24 digs against the Mavericks, topping her career high of 22 at the College Park Center last season. Marija Zelenovic posted 15 digs and Waggoner had a double-double with 11 digs, as well.
The Trojans hit .371 in the first set, with 16 kills and just three errors. However, the Trojans struggled in the second and fourth sets with -.024 and -.111 attack percentages, respectively.
Troy returns home on Sunday when the Trojans host Appalachian State at Trojan Arena at 12 p.m. The Mountaineers (12-0, 2-0) are the only remaining undefeated time in the Sun Belt and are receiving votes in the AVCA Division I Coaches Poll.
For more information on Troy Athletics, visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find Troy on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube by searching for Troy Athletics.
Georgia State Sweeps ULM 3-0
MONROE, La. – In the first weekend of round-robin conference play, the Georgia State volleyball team swept UL Monroe 3-0 in Monroe, La., on Friday.
The Panthers (3-8, 1-1) won 25-16, 26-24, and 25-16 to snap a five-match losing streak. Junior Kitan Ajanaku hit .692 with 9 kills to lead the Panthers on offense. As a team, Georgia State hit .295 to ULM’s .161.
“All week, we’ve been working on managing the game and managing our side of the net. We did a much better job of that tonight and it showed,” head coach Sally Polhamus said. “We were tied 24-24 in the second set, but the team persevered and pulled out the win. That’s a big step forward. We were happy with the way we came out strong in the third set as well.”
NOTING THE PANTHERS…
·Georgia State is now 4-0 all-time against ULM
·Sophomore Kristina Stinson had 9 kills, tied for best on the team.
·Junior Natalia Nieto’s 25 assists led all players.
·Seven Panthers recorded kills on the night with four having seven or more kills.
·Junior Eliza Zachary continued her hot streak with another strong performance. The middle blocker had two blocks to go with 8 kills and a .333 hitting percentage.
The first set went back-and-forth until the Panthers edged out a 20-16 lead. ULM called a timeout, but it was in vein as GSU rattled off five points unanswered to win the first set 25-16.
Set two had a similar story. Georgia managed to build a slim lead late in the set. This time, ULM came rallying back from down five to take a 24-23 lead over Georgia State. Polhamus called a timeout of her own and her squad rebounded to win the set 26-24.
Georgia State went ahead early in the third set and never looked back. The Warhawks pulled within three, but Georgia State responded with six-straight to go on top 18-9. GSU would go on to win the set 25-16.
NEXT UP…
Georgia State heads to Mobile, Ala., next to face South Alabama on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. After Sunday’s match, the Panthers return home for just the second time this season for a meeting with UALR on Sept. 26.
ULM Drops Sun Belt Home Opener to Georgia State
MONROE, La. -- Efficient nights by Jennifer McClendon and Kaitlyn Shearer were not enough as the ULM volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (25-16, 26-24, 25-16) decision to Georgia State Friday night at the Fant Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, La.
McClendon was the match’s most efficient player as she finished with six kills on eight swings and no errors, hitting an outstanding .750 for the Warhawks (6-9, 0-2 Sun Belt). Shearer was just as effective in the effort, registering seven kills on 11 swings for a .545 efficiency mark.
Sophomore Taylor Zaeske led ULM with a team-high eight kills to go with six digs and an ace. Hope Pawlik tuned in seven kills on 16 hits (.312) from the outside.
Marcela Araya recorded 18 digs, the 14th time she has topped double-digit digs this season. Bayleigh Hoffman added 23 assists and four digs as the setter.
After a tough first set, the Warhawks battled the Panthers (3-8, 1-1 Sun Belt) to the brink in a second stanza that included nine tie scores and three lead changes. With the score tied at 24-24, Georgia State would take advantage of an error and a kill by Kristina Stinson to take a 2-0 lead heading into intermission.
The second set ended up being the difference maker as ULM was defeated in the third stanza to move the Warhawks record to 6-9 overall and 0-2 in the Sun Belt.
ULM returns to action Sunday at 1 p.m. against Texas State (7-7, 2-0 Sun Belt).
A-State Volleyball Drops Home Opener to Texas State
JONESBORO, Ark. (9/19/14) – The Arkansas State volleyball squad dropped a 3-0 (22-25, 18-25, 23-25) decision to Texas State at the Convocation Center in the team’s home and Sun Belt Conference opener Friday night.
The Red Wolves (5-5, 0-1) and Bobcats (7-7, 2-0) battled with each other closely in the first set. Texas State got ahead by as much as three points early, but the teams found themselves tied up at 20-20 late. The Bobcats went ahead by two points at 23-21, but a Drew Jones kill cut the deficit to one point at 23-22. However, A-State wouldn’t get any closer and lost the set 25-22.
Trailing 1-0, A-State began the second set well by jumping out to a 3-1 lead, but Texas State tied the set at 9-9 and began to take control after an 8-4 run for a 17-13 lead. The Bobcats ended the set on an 8-5 run to earn a 25-18 set victory and take a 2-0 lead on the Red Wolves.
Arkansas State and Texas State traded points for the majority of the beginning of the set, but A-State took a 15-13 lead after a Jones kill. The Bobcats responded with a 3-0 run to take a 16-15 lead, but the Red Wolves managed to tie the set at 22-22 after a Sarah Kemp kill. A-State couldn’t close out the set though as Texas State used a 3-1 run to win the final set 25-23 for a 3-0 victory over the Red Wolves.
“Texas State seemed to be in control from the beginning, even when we were in it we made a lot of errors so they controlled the game,” A-State volleyball coach David Rehr said. “It was a lack of blocking the ball and we couldn’t stop anybody. Our trademark over the last six games was that we play good defense and block the ball so it was a disappointment that we didn’t continue that, but you have to give Texas State a lot of credit.”
Kemp led the Red Wolves in kills with 14 and setter Mallory Warrington registered her eighth double-double of the year with 30 assists and 12 digs. Defensively, Markie Schaedig led the team with 16 digs and Kemp recorded three blocks, including two block solos.
Arkansas State returns to action Sunday, Sept. 21 in its first SBC road contest of the season at Georgia Southern. First serve from Hanner Fieldhouse in Statesboro, Ga., is set for 11 a.m. Fans can keep up with all the match’s action by following @AStateGameday on Twitter. For the latest on the A-State volleyball team follow the squad on Twitter (@stAteVolleyball).