The App State volleyball team fell short to Davidson, 3-1 (18-25, 25-23, 18-12, 20-25), on Thursday. The Mountaineers currently stand 9-1 (0-0 SBC) on the season.

Fifth year senior McCall Denny and freshman Delanie Grevengoed each posted 12 kills on the night. Grevengoed was one kill away from matching her single-match career high,13, which was set on Sept. 7 against North Carolina A&T. In addition to her 12 kills, Denny tallied a team-high 17 digs for her fourth double-double of the 2023 campaign. Sophomore Maya Winterhoff surpassed 150 total career blocks in Thursday’s match, totaling six (two solo, four assists) on the night. Sophomore Katie Cruise led the team in assists with 22. Senior Sophie Cain recorded a double-double of her own, reaching double figures in assists (19) and digs (10). Sophomore Kenady Roper served up a team-high two aces in addition to tallying 15 digs. Thursday’s match also marked freshman Akila Hardie’s first career start.

App State posted nine blocks to Davidson’s six.

Davidson jumped to an early 6-1 lead in the first set, keeping App State at arm’s length. The Mountaineers managed to come within four of Davidson’s early lead after a block by Hardie/Denny (10-6) and after a kill from freshman Ava Leahy (11-7), but Davidson remained steady, taking the set, 25-18.

In the second set, App State cut Davidson’s 3-0 lead to 4-3 after an ace from Cain. The Mountaineers edged past the Wildcats for a 6-5 lead after kills from Denny and Ambrose, as well as a block from Winterhoff/Ambrose. App State and Davidson battled point-for-point until the Black and Gold tied things up at 13 all with a kill from Grevengoed. A solo block and ace from Winterhoff, as well as a kill from Grevengoed, gave App State a 17-14 lead. Davidson tied things up at 19 all and took a 20-19 edge, but a 4-0 scoring run from the Mountaineers put App State up 23-20. App State took the second set, 25-23, after kills from Winterhoff and Denny.

Tied at one set apiece, the Mountaineers and Wildcats battled point-for-point in the third set until Davidson went on a 5-0 scoring run to take a 14-9 lead. App State answered with back-to-back kills from Winterhoff and a block from Winterhoff/Grevengoed to cut the lead to 14-12. Davidson maintained a steady lead, despite App State’s efforts, taking the third set, 25-18.

In the fourth and final set, App State battled back from a 5-1 deficit, to come within two of the Wildcats’ lead (7-5). A pair of kills from Ambrose and a kill from Denny cut Davidson’s lead to 10-8, but Davidson steadily extended the deficit. The Mountaineers went on a late 3-0 scoring run to cut the Wildcats’ lead to 19-17, but the Wildcats answered with a 4-0 run to jump ahead, 24-18. Despite a late kill from Grevengoed, Davidson took the set, 25-20, and the match, 3-1.

The Mountaineers return to the court on Friday at 6 p.m. to face Wake Forest in the Davidson Tournament finale. Live stats for Friday’s match will be available.