ATLANTA, Ga. (11/17/18) – Arkansas State volleyball dropped a 3-1 decision (25-20, 25-21, 30-28, 25-23) to Appalachian State in the Semifinals of the SBC Tournament.
Carlisa May led the way for the Red Wolves offensively with 29 kills while Macey Putt earned a double-double of 18 digs and 12 kills. Ellie Watkins handed out a team-high 50 assists while Madison Turner chipped in defensively with four blocks.
The Red Wolves jumped out to an early 7-3 advantage in the first set on back-to-back kills by Isabel Theut to force an Appalachian State timeout. After the timeout, the Mountaineers rallied when they went on a 4-0 scoring run led by Emma Longley to pull within 13-9. Momentum shifted when App State went on a 5-0 scoring run led my Grace Morrison to tie the match at 16. The Red Wolves couldn't find their footing when the dropped the first set 25-20.
A-State came out fired up in the second set when it went on a 5-0 scoring run to force an Appalachian State timeout. Out of the timeout, the Mountaineers rallied when they scored three-straight to pull within 6-4. The Red Wolves showed a sense of urgency when they went on a 4-0 rally to pull ahead19-17 on back-to-back kills by May. A-State kept up its aggressive offense when it took the set 25-21.
Appalachian State set the tone early in the third set when it went on a 4-0 scoring run on back-to-back kills by Kara Spicer. The Mountaineers found their rhythm when they went on a 4-0 rally to pull ahead 18-16 on back-to-back blocks. A-State battled when it evened the match at 2 on back-to-back kills by May to force an Appalachian State timeout. The Red Wolves earned four set points but couldn't find a way to finish off the Mountaineers when they dropped the set 30-28.
May earned three consecutive kills to put the Red Wolves ahead 10-5 in the fourth set, ultimately forcing an Appalachian State timeout. Concluding the timeout, the Mountaineers rallied when they went on a 3-0 scoring run to pull within 11-9. Momentum shifted when the Red Wolves went on a 3-0 scoring led my May to pull ahead 17-12. However, App State rallied on a 4-0 scoring to tie the match at 21. The Red Wolves couldn't find an answer for the aggressive App State offense when the dropped the match 3-1.
Appalachian State will advance to the SBC Championship match to face the winner of No. 1 Texas State and No. 4 Little Rock.
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