BOONE, N.C. – The Warhawk volleyball team took the first two sets at Appalachian State Saturday, but the Mountaineers stormed back on Senior Night to win the match 3-2 (20-25, 24-26, 25-21, 25-18, 15-11).
 
The Warhawks (4-18 overall, 0-8 Sun Belt) won the first five points of the first set. The Mountaineers (12-7, 3-5) then went on a 7-2 scoring run to tie the game at 9. ULM responded with a 7-2 run of its own to put the lead back at five, 16-11. The Warhawks' never led by less than three for the rest of the set.
 
ULM started set two strongly as well, sprinting to a 7-3 advantage. Then, with the Warhawks leading 10-6, the Mountaineers scored 12 out of the next 15 points to take a 15-10 lead. Down 22-18, ULM scored five-straight points to take the lead. App State won the next two points to reach set point, 24-23, but a service error and kills by junior Logan Jeffus and sophomore Brynn Botkin gave ULM a two-sets-to-none lead.
 
Again, in set three, the Warhawks came out of the gate quickly, surging to a 10-5 lead. But App State came back again, going on an 11-3 run to take a 16-13 lead. Later, down 20-16, ULM closed to within two, 23-21, but the Mountaineers closed it out to narrow ULM's lead to two sets to one.
 
The first half of the fourth set was nip-and-tuck. But then, with the score tied at 15, App State went on a 10-3 scoring run to knot the match at two sets each.
 
The deciding set was close as well. But with the score tied at 9, the Mountaineers won six of the last eight point to complete the reverse sweep.
 
Top performers for the Warhawks included Jeffus and Botkin, who led the team in kills with 20 each. ULM's setters, sophomore Bailey Roberson and freshman Morgan Howard, had 29 and 23 assists respectively. Five Warhawks had double-digit digs, with junior libero Cameron Rogers leading the way with 20.
 
The Warhawks will try to break their 10-match losing streak when they return to Fant-Ewing Coliseum to face Troy on Friday, October 20, at 6 p.m., and Saturday, October 21, at 2 p.m.