BIRMINGHAM, ALA.- Appalachian State University volleyball was unable to keep pace with a tough Samford squad, as the Bulldogs avenged a loss to the Apps from earlier in the season, beating ASU 3-0 in the Pete Hanna Center Saturday night. The loss snaps a two-match winning streak for Appalachian and drops ASU to 11-16 on the season and 7-5 in SoCon action, while the Bulldogs improve to 16-12 overall and 10-4 in the league, remaning atop the SoCon North Division standings.

The match got off to a rough start for ASU who came out sluggish in first set play as Samford jumped out to a 6-2 advantage, with Sheriden Stangohr tallying three kills.

Appalachian tried to battle back, knotting the contest at eight all, but a 9-2 Bulldog streak putting the contest out of reaching, giving SU a 17-10 lead.

The seven point advantage coupled with three Mountaineer errors in the waning points of first set action helped the Bulldogs cruise to a 25-15 win.

ASU picked up its play during the second set, as the set was tied 10 times and the lead changed on seven different occassions.

It looked as though Samford would pull away with the set as the Bulldogs went up by three points at the 15-12 mark off of points by Stangohr and Shelby Brandon. Despite kills by Maggie Seeds and Lauren Swecker, ASU could not cut into the three point deficit.

The Bulldogs went up by as many as four points at the 23-19 mark but the Black and Gold would not go away quietly, storming back to tie the set at 24 all, thanks in part to a block assist by Swecker and Caroline Sedon and a service ace by senior Maja Jechorek.

The set was tied two more times before back-to-back ASU attack errors gave Samford the narrow 28-26 second set victory.

ASU got off to a slow start in the third and what would be final set action, as Samford grabbed a 10-5 advantage. Two kills by Jechorek and Becca Norris moved Appalachian back within two points, but the Bulldogs continued with their strong play pushing their advantage to six points at the 18-12 mark.

It appeared Samford would roll to a third set win, but ASU continued to battle, as a late 8-3 Mountaineer run put the Apps with one point at the 21-20 mark, with Norris and Jechorek anchoring the ASU offense. An attack error by Allie Bettinger gave ASU a 22-21 lead, however Samford regained the lead at the 24-23 mark. A final kill by Elizabeth Neisler gave Samford the 25-23 third set and 3-0 match win.

Junior Lauren Swecker finished the contest with an ASU-high eight kills, while Stangohr led the Bulldogs with a match-high 11.

Appalachian looks to bounce back, as ASU heads to Chattanooga, Tenn. to take on the Lady Mocs, Sunday November 9 at 2 p.m.