After two critical wins on the road at Old Dominion University, Marshall Women’s Volleyball looks to pull off a major upset against a top Sun Belt team in App State on Friday, Nov. 8. Going into the game, App State has won four in a row, which has bolstered their record to 14-7 and 8-2 in conference. Meanwhile, the Herd’s record stands at 13-12, and they are sporting a conference record of 4-8.

“App is a strong team this year; they are very consistent. I would say their consistency is their strength,” senior Brynn Brown said.

This game proves to be another must win for the Herd, but after gaining two wins against ODU in a game where ODU stood as favorites, the team is battle tested and ready for the next challenge. After their wins, said Herd Volleyball head coach Ari Aganus in an interview with HerdZone.

“The resilience we showed to be able to earn two wins back-to-back is really impressive.” 

During these matches, the team was able to battle through the adversity of being the underdog and go on multiple runs throughout the game. Olivia Fogo led the team with 12 kills while Audrey Geer had 11.

“We kept our heads down and had a defensive focus mindset. Our improvement on our first ball contact has allowed the versatility for spreading our offense and able to rely on multiple people per match,” Agnus said.

“The game-plan is to focus on us and control what we can control. As a team, we can take advantage of the momentum we have right now coming off of two wins at ODU,” Brown said.

Statistically, the team has found more success on the trail. The herd is 6-4 away and 7-1 at neutral venues. However, for App State, matches at home seem to give them a similar boost, with a 7-3 record at home.

“Away games allow us to focus on only us,” Brown said. “We tend to be more locked in on the road. The last time I was at App was my sophomore year, and to be honest, I do not remember what the atmosphere was like. I have a feeling though the crowd will be very involved as App has a dedicated fan base.”

The Herd is in for a matchup against another solid opponent in the conference. Each match at this point in the season is critical and one loss can be devastating for either team’s season.

“I would definitely say this is a must win weekend for us. These next two weekends are must wins. Securing these wins would be huge for us,” Brown said.

The Herd will look to head into battle Friday and Saturday and continue fighting for conference control.

Tariq Montgomery can be contacted at [email protected].