Air Force Academy
New Mexico
Falcons Volleyball Loses to New Mexico, 1-3
10/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 5, 2001
The Air FOrce volleyball team suffered another disappointing loss, falling to New Mexico 1-3 (30-24, 12-30, 24-30, 21-30). After winning the first game, the Falcons fell apart, suffering an 18-point loss in the second game. It was the Falcon's worst game loss of the season, and the team could never recover.
"We started off playing excellent volleyball," head coach Penny Lucas-White. "We came out with a game plan and executed to perfection in the first game. We lost focus in the second game and it really cost us."
The team had a hitting percentage of .194 for the first game, but had 17 errors and just seven kills for a -.303 percentage in the dreadful game two. Although the team battled back and forth in games three and four, the loss of momentum in game two cost the Falcons a chance at the victory.
Gina Marino and Delavane Diaz each had 11 kills to lead the Air Force attack. It was a career-high for Marino, who also tied for the match-lead in digs with nine. Christina Nigro also had nine kills, followed by Kristin Huitt who had eight digs and 37 assists.
Malena Thompson was the only Lobos player to finish the match in double figures in kills, notching 13. She also had 10 digs for the double-double.
The Falcons (1-11, 0-5) have lost nine consecutive matches this season. They will look for their first conference victory at home on Friday, Oct. 12, when they face Wyoming.
"We really need to work on our mental game," Lucas-White said. "We have to get tougher mentally as a team. We aren't losing our matches physically, we are losing them mentally. It's back to the drawing board."
