App State volleyball completed the Geri Polvino Invitational with a 2-1 record, guided by junior outside hitter Bella Hutchens, who recorded 43 kills throughout the tournament. The Mountaineers traveled to Richmond, Kentucky, for two matches on Friday and one on Saturday.
On Friday, the Black and Gold achieved two dominant victories. Their first match was against Tennessee Tech University, which App State controlled for a 3-1 win. After dropping the opening set 25-18, the Mountaineers rallied to claim the next three sets. Hutchens was a key contributor during this comeback, recording 16 kills across the final three sets. In the second set, App State trailed 16-15 before launching a decisive seven-point run to win 25-19. The team sustained its momentum, winning the third set 25-17 and closing out the match with a 25-23 victory in the fourth set.
Later on Friday, App State continued its success with a 3-0 sweep against Presbyterian College. Hutchens' strong performance continued, bringing her total to 31 kills over both Friday matches. The Mountaineers established control early in the match, maintaining the lead for the entire first set. They secured the first two sets with identical 25-14 scores. Presbyterian College put up a challenge in the third set, which saw the score remain within a two-point margin between the teams until App State eventually clinched the set 25-23, finalizing the sweep.
Despite their successful start on Friday, the Mountaineers faced a setback in their final game on Saturday, losing to Eastern Kentucky University. The match was closely contested, with the opening set tied 12 times before Eastern Kentucky established a five-point lead and won 25-20. App State responded by winning the second set 25-21. However, Eastern Kentucky claimed the third set, despite six kills from Hutchens in the match. The teams then traded set wins, with Eastern Kentucky taking the fourth set 25-17, followed by an App State win of 25-21. Eastern Kentucky ultimately secured the tournament win by taking the fifth and deciding set 15-7.
The App State volleyball team will next travel to Norfolk, Virginia. They are scheduled to play two matches against Old Dominion University, with games set for Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m.
