Georgia Southern (14-8, 6-4) vs. Appalachian State (14-9, 7-5) Dates: Nov. 4 - 6 p.m., Nov. 6 - 1 p.m. | Holmes Center Live Stats: Friday | Saturday  Live Video: Friday - ESPN+ | Saturday - ESPN+  Series History

 

Georgia Southern	Appalachian State
Roster	Roster
Stats	Stats
Schedule	Schedule

Probable Starters (based on last match):
#1 Ashlyn Lovett
# 2 Meredith Eckard
#6 Rebekah Farthing
#7 Emily Jarome
#13 Baylor Bumford
#14 Grace Underwood
#20 Callaway Cason

• Georgia Southern travels to Boone to take on longtime rival Appalachian State this weekend. Friday's contest begins at 6 p.m., Saturday's tilt starts at 1 p.m. and both contests will air on ESPN+.

• Georgia Southern enters the weekend in third place in the Sun Belt East Division standings, and Appalachian State is fourth.

• The Eagles suffered a pair of 3-0 setbacks to first-place James Madison at home last weekend, while the Mountaineers split with Old Dominion on the road. App lost the first match 3-0 and won the second 3-1.

• The Mountaineers have won seven of eight, and the Eagles have won four of their last six.

• Appalachian State leads the all-time series, which began in 1989, 38-18, but the Eagles have won the last two. App is 17-9 against Georgia Southern in Boone.

• Georgia Southern head coach Chad Willis and assistant coach Taylor Sherwin came to Statesboro from Appalachian State prior to the 2019 season. Willis spent six seasons there during which Appalachian State posted 100 wins, notched 20-plus victories three times, advanced to the Sun Belt championship twice and earned a bid to the 2018 National Invitational Volleyball Championship. Sherwin was an assistant coach for the last three campaigns.

• GS is 7-5 away from home this season (includes neutral site matches), while Appalachian State is 5-2 in the Holmes Center.

• Georgia Southern ranks 21st in the country in opponents' hitting percentage (.164) and 13th in aces (1.92), and the Eagles rank first in the Sun Belt in both categories. GS ranks second in the league in digs (15.33/set).

• Ashlyn Lovett ranks ninth in the nation and leads the Sun Belt in aces (0.56/set). The sophomore is second in the Sun Belt in digs (4.44/set), while Emily Jarome is sixth in the Sun Belt in kills (3.75/set).

• Baylor Bumford is five blocks shy of 300 for her career, and Lovett notched her 500th career dig at the Tussle in the Triad Sept. 2.

• The Eagles' roster has been bolstered by three transfers who are making an impact this season. Jarome was a three-time All-CAA selection at Towson and led the Tigers to three CAA Tournament Championships and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearances. Jarome's Eagle debut was her 100th career match, and she has 1,307 career kills, 927 digs, 203 blocks and 100 aces. Grace Underwood, Jarome's club teammate on East Coast Power,  transferred from Delaware and has 299 career kills and 198 blocks. Callaway Cason transferred from Ole Miss and ranks fifth in the Sun Belt in assists (9.73/set). Bumford is also a transfer, having come to Georgia Southern from UNCW prior to the 2019 season.

• The Eagles had two home contests vs. Old Dominion canceled due to travel concerns caused by Hurricane Ian.

• GS caps the regular season by playing host to Troy Nov. 11 and 12, in Hanner Fieldhouse. Friday's match begins at 6 p.m., and Saturday's is slated for 1 p.m.