Air Force Academy
Central Florida
Falcons Fall 3-1 to Central Florida
9/1/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 1, 2001
Despite a valiant effort, Air Force lost an exciting back-and-forth battle to Central Florida, 3-1, in the final game of the Central Florida Invitational tournament.
After losing game one (30-17), the Falcons battled back to win game two (30-26). They lost momentum when the Golden Knights rallied for 10 consecutive points in game three to win 30-24.
A thrilling game four saw the Falcons take an early lead only to see Central Florida battle back to tie the score at 25 points apiece. The teams exchanged leads three times before the Knights took the lead at 29. They went on to win the game 30-28 and the match 3-1.
"We showed a lot of character," said head coach Penny Lucas-White. "We gained valuable experience and we will only improve as the season progresses."
After notching just two kills combined in the first two matches of the tournament, sophomore Delavane Diaz came alive against Central Florida. She powered 23 kills on 48 total attacks, the second most of her career. Diaz's career high is 25, set against Colorado last season.
Brittany Edmonds added 15 kills for the Falcons, extending her team-leading overall total to 34. Four players finished the game in double figures in digs, including Abby Martinson, who had a team-leading 17. Kristin Huitt notched 40 assists and 13 digs for the Falcons.
Piper Morgan did a solid job for the Knights, hitting 21 kills on 28 attacks for an impressive .714 hitting percentage. Cassy Kerner added 18 kills and Leyre Santaella-Sante had 19 kills as Central Florida hit 35 percent as a team.
The Falcons (1-2) will face Stetson at 7 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
