The App State volleyball team defeated James Madison in five sets (23-25, 23-25, 25-21, 26-24, 15-9) on Friday in Harrisonburg, Va. The Mountaineers are 8-5 (2-0 SBC) after notching their first set of victories over the Dukes since the 2011 campaign. Additionally, this week’s wins even out the series between the Mountaineers and Dukes at six wins apiece.
“This team is resilient,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble.”To be down 0-2 and to come back and reverse sweep a really good JMU team was incredible. We are ready, however, to get back and be with our Boone community.”
Junior Maya Winterhoff and sophomore Ava Leahy led the Mountaineers with 15 kills apiece. Winterhoff also led the Mountaineers in the blocks category with five, while Leahy and freshman Elise Marchal each made four. Redshirt junior Addison Heidemann made 54 of the Black and Gold’s 59 assistsand made a team-high 19 digs to register her fourth career double-double. Marchal also registered a double-double with 13 kills and 17 digs.
App State led James Madison in kills (67-60), assists (59-56), and digs (76-67).
The Mountaineers and Dukes battled through a tight first set, tying the score thrice and swapping the lead twice. App State took an early 5-2 lead with a 5-0 scoring run that included a block from the duo of Winterhoff and Marchal, a pair of kills from freshman Bella Hutchens, and a kill from Marchal. Back-to-back kills from Ambrose pulled the Mountaineers ahead, 14-9. James Madison managed to meet the Mountaineers at 19 all, but a pair of JMU errors gave App State a 22-19 advantage. Ambrose kept the Mountaineers ahead, 23-20, with a kill, but JMU answered with a 5-0 scoring run to take the set, 25-23.
In the second set, App State and JMU knotted the score twice, despite JMU maintaining a steady control of the lead over the duration of play. JMU built off an early 7-2 lead, but the Mountaineers patiently chipped away at the deficit, meeting the Dukes at 19 all. A kill from Leahy kept the Mountaineers within one of the Dukes’ lead (21-20). Ambrose managed a final kill to hold JMU at set point (24-23), but the Dukes took the second set with a score matching the first: 25-23.
App State found momentum in the third set that carried through the fourth and fifth. Despite trailing, 6-2, early in the set, the Mountaineers erased the deficit and edged ahead, 15-12 after a 7-1 scoring run that included a trio of Leahy kills, and an Ambrose kill and ace. Maintaining their lead, the Mountaineers saw a kill from Winterhoff and an ace from sophomore Caroline Farthing to reach a 20-16 lead. App State sealed the set, 25-21, after a kill from Marchal, a block from the duo of Heidemannand Leahy, and a JMU error.
Leahy opened the fourth set with a solo block for the Mountaineers. The Black and Gold steadily built its lead early through the set, jumping ahead 13-9 after Heidemann set Winterhoff up for back-to-back kills. The Mountaineers’ momentum carried as they pulled ahead, 19-12, after kills from Ambrose and Marchal in addition to a JMU error. James Madison erased a 20-13 deficit with an 8-0 scoring run to take a 21-20 edge. Ambrose tied the score at 21 all with a kill and a block from Hutchens and Leahy kept things tied at 22 all. App State took a 24-23 edge after a kill from Winterhoff and a block from the duo of Marchal and Winterhoff. After the Dukes tied the score at 24 all, Winterhoff clinched the set for the Mountaineers, 26-24, with two consecutive kills.
In the fifth and final set, App State held James Madison to nine kills, despite knotting the score seven times and trading the lead on five occasions. The Dukes took an early 3-0 lead, but the Mountaineers were quick to catch up and take a 4-3 edge after a kill from Winterhoff and back-to-back kills from Hutchens. Kills from Marchal tied the score at eight all and again at nine all. From there, the Mountaineers went on a 7-0 run, building off kills from Marchal, Ambrose, and Leahy, in addition to a block from the duo of Heidemann and Leahy, to take the set, 15-9, and the match, 3-2.
The Mountaineers will return to Boone to host Louisiana on Oct. 4 and 5. Friday’s 6 p.m. match will feature a food drive for the Hunger & Health Coalition. All fans who bring five or more canned goods or non-perishable items can purchase a $5 ticket at the gates. Saturday’s noon match is Youth Team Day. All youth who wear their team jersey will receive free admission and the bounce house will be back in the Fan Zone. There will be an autograph session following the conclusion of Saturday’s match. Both matches will be available to stream on ESPN+.
{Information provided by Appalachian State Athletics}
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