Appledorn, a three-time All-American, led Ferris to Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles in each of his three seasons (1983-85). He earned the distinction of being FSU's initial tennis All-American in 1983 after becoming the first unseeded player in NCAA Division II history to advance to the singles title match, losing to former Wimbledon doubles champion Ken Flach.

Appledorn was a 1984 NCAA-II singles and doubles quarterfinalist and a national singles semifinalist in 1985. The Holland, Michigan native compiled a 65-15 career singles record and was chosen as the 1983 GLIAC "Most Valuable Player." Appledorn was the Midwest United States Tennis Association "Playing Pro of the Year" in 1997 and his national ranking for 35 and over was fifth in 1997 and seventh in 1998.