Davis Reaches Milestone in Four-Set Loss to Georgia State

Image Courtesy Of App State Facebook

Appalachian State volleyball fell 25-22, 16-25, 26-28, 18-25 to Georgia State on Saturday despite sophomore MeMe Davis recording her 1,000th career dig during the third set. The Mountaineers (13-10, 4-8 Sun Belt) won the opening set before the Panthers (14-9, 5-7 Sun Belt) seized momentum for the remainder of the match.

Individual Excellence Amid Team Struggles

Beyond Davis’ career milestone, App State received outstanding performances from senior Maya Winterhoff and sophomore Lou Johnson, who each posted double-digit kills on .400 or better hitting percentages. Senior Ali Morris led the Mountaineers with 13 kills, while Keionna Mackey and Bella Hutchens added six kills apiece. Redshirt senior Addison Heidemann and junior Maria Contreras combined for 46 of App State’s 49 assists, with both Heidemann and Davis recording double-digit digs.

Match Summary

App State opened strong, capitalizing on Georgia State errors to build momentum behind Winterhoff, Johnson, and Morris. Back-to-back Morris kills clinched the first set 25-22, giving the Mountaineers a 1-0 advantage.

Georgia State responded in the second set, jumping to a 7-0 lead and maintaining control throughout despite App State’s efforts to rally. The Panthers closed out set two 25-16.

The third set featured multiple momentum swings with both teams trading runs. App State built a five-point advantage late before Georgia State scored eight of the next ten points to take a 25-24 lead. The Mountaineers answered with two straight points, but three consecutive Panther kills secured a 28-26 victory and 2-1 match lead.

Georgia State controlled the fourth set, building an early five-point lead. Despite App State tying the score at 11, the Panthers responded with six consecutive points and closed out the match 25-18.

Johnson’s back-to-back kills initiated the fourth set for App State, but Georgia State quickly established a five-point lead, scoring eight of the first 11 points. Contreras halted the Panther momentum with a kill, followed by an ace from Morris, reducing the deficit to three points. After a brief pause, Mackey and Contreras sparked a 3-0 run, narrowing the gap to one point. Although App State tied the score at 11, Georgia State responded with six consecutive points to pull ahead. Despite kills from Winterhoff and Morris, App State couldn’t overcome the deficit, as the Panthers finished strong to win the match.

The Mountaineers travel to Marshall for Thursday (1 p.m.) and Friday (4 p.m.) matches against the Thundering Herd, with both contests broadcast on ESPN+.