This past weekend the Bucs traveled to Boone, North Carolina, where they participated in the Appalachian State Invitational.
Head Coach Lindsey Devine and her team won two out of three matches defeating Appalachian State and Virginia while falling to Towson in their final match of the tournament.
When speaking on how they defeated Virginia, Devine said, “We played like we belonged. We came in there with a clear mindset and it wasn’t ACC vs. SoCon, it was Virginia vs. ETSU. What makes us special is how balanced we are on the offensive end, that is how we counteract teams like Virginia even though they might have a height advantage over us.”
ETSU beat Virginia in straight sets, dominating the last one 25-10.
ETSU then took the court against the Appalachian State Mountaineers, who hosted the tournament. The Bucs struggled early on by losing the first set but then won the next 3 sets by a total margin of 77-61. Rylee Milhorn (Kingsport, Tenn.) recorded a game high 18 kills and 12 digs.
“I couldn’t do any of what I do without my teammates,’ Milhorn said. “I credit my teammates.”
In their final match of the invitational, the Bucs faced the Towson Tigers. ETSU took the first set 25-23 and then lost the next 3 sets by a total of 9 points.
“It comes down to the little things that happen here and there that make a difference in a tight game,” said Devine. “We have to get better at staying focused on every play and then we will start winning those tight games.”
Towson is the Bucs fourth opponent through six games that have been ranked in the top 40.
“We belong, we have to get over the name of our university and play our game and we will start finishing more of those games,” Devine said.
Milhorn has been named the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s Volleyball player of the week. Throughout the Appalachian State Invitational, she averaged a double-double while tallying 34 kills and 30 digs. Both AJ Lux (Shelbyville, Ind.) and Milhorn were awarded All-Tournament selections for their tournament performances.
