NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State lost in straights set to Appalachian State on Friday afternoon in its final match of the Virginia Tech Classic. The Mountaineers came away with a 3-0 victory by scores of 25-18, 25-19, 25-15.
 
Shonte Seale led the Spartans (0-10) in kills for the fourth consecutive match with eight, while Paola Maradei added six on a .333 hitting rate. A Hernandez pair – outside hitter Carla Hernandez and libero Alondra Hernandez, that is – combined for 19 digs, with Carla leading the way at 11.  
 
Seale heated up early to give the Spartans an early 5-3 advantage, putting away a pass from freshman setter Sydney McCree before combining with Adlene Jideofor on a strong block. NSU racked up 13 kills in the opening game, but a late 6-1 Mountaineer run created enough separation for App State to clinch take a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
Three mistakes by the opposing team's offense helped the Spartans earn three of the first four points of the second set. But like the previous game, one or two large Mountaineer spurts resulted in a devastating change of momentum.
 
App State mustered five straight points to take an 11-8 lead, but Maradei helped steady the Spartans with back-to-back kills. The Mountaineers responded right back with a 6-0 run, giving NSU a seven-point deficit it wouldn't be able to come back from.
 
After falling behind 6-1 in the third game, the Spartans remained within striking distance thanks to a few impressive serves by Maradei and Seale. Despite the effort, Norfolk State struggled to find a rhythm offensively, as the Mountaineers held them to just three kills in the final set.
 
Coming off six matches in a seven-day span, the Spartans will finally have a chance to rest. The team returns to Gill Gymnasium at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, opening conference play against Maryland Eastern Shore.