The App State volleyball team fell in three sets to Louisiana (3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 28-26)) in its penultimate regular season match on Friday. The Mountaineers return to the court at 12 p.m. CT (1 p.m. ET) on Saturday for their regular season finale against the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Sophomore Maya Winterhoff posted a team-high eight kills in addition to one ace and two blocks. Junior Lauren Pledger went up for a team-high four blocks, and slammed down six kills. Freshman Taylor McNear served up a career and team-high two aces on the night. Senior Sophie Cain recorded 15 assists, while redshirt freshman Katie Cruise posted 12 assists. In the digs category, sophomore Alyssa McBean made 14 digs, while fifth-year senior McCall Denny tallied 10.

Pledger opened the first set with a kill. App State gained an early 4-3 edge after Winterhoff slammed down a kill. Winterhoff’s sole ace of the match tied things up at 6-6. Louisiana found momentum with a 5-0 run to take a 17-10 lead and reached set point after a 4-0 run (24-13). A kill from junior Lulu Ambrose, who totaled seven on the night, followed by a Ragin’ Cajun error held Louisiana to two set points. The Ragin’ Cajuns took the set, 25-15.

Louisiana built off an early 13-4 lead in the second set. A 3-0 run from the Mountaineers that included an Ambrose kill as well as a block from Pledger/senior Meghan Dombrowski cut into Louisiana’s lead (16-9). Ambrose and Pledger slammed down back-to-back kills, but Louisiana found momentum with a 7-0 run that capped the set, 25-11.

McNear opened the third set with an ace, which Pledger/freshman Delanie Grevengoed followed up with a block. The Mountaineers found momentum with a pair of kills from Grevengoed and a pair of kills from Winterhoff to take a 6-4 lead. Ambrose and Pledger kept App State ahead, 8-5, with two additional kills. The Black and Gold jumped ahead, 12-7, with a 4-0 run, which included McNear’s second ace and Denny’s first kill of the match. App State steadily maintained its lead, jumping ahead 20-15 after a kill from Ambrose. The Ragin’ Cajuns caught up to the Mountaineers, closing the deficit to 21-20. Denny brought App State to set point with a kill (24-22), but Louisiana managed to tie things up at 24 all. Winterhoff broke the tie with a kill before Louisiana tied the score again at 25 all. Ambrose broke the tie with her final kill of the match to give App State a 26-25 edge, but Louisiana went on a 3-0 run to take the set, 28-26, and the match, 3-0.