Air Force Academy
Wyoming
Volleyball Lassos The Cowgirls in Three
11/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 15, 2003
LARAMIE, Wyo. - The Air Force volleyball team put a damper on Wyoming's Senior Night festivities, sweeping the Cowgirls in three at the Multi-Purpose Gym in Laramie, Wyo., on Saturday, Nov. 15. Air Force took the first two games (30-26 and 30-28), before rallying to take the third game 30-26. With the win, the Falcons complete a season sweep of the Cowgirls, marking the second time this season that they have defeated a Mountain West Conference opponent in both meetings.
Since it was Senior Night, it was fitting that a senior stole the show. Unfortunately for the host Cowgirls, it was the Falcons' Delavane Diaz (Tampa, Fla.). The Air Force senior posted 23 kills and added 12 digs for her tenth double-double of the season. Senior Kristin Huitt (Fresno, Calif.) also notched a double-double (her 11th of the season), with 49 assists and 12 digs. Huitt also served an ace and assisted on a block.
In other statistical news for the Falcons, junior Lamecca Jefferson (Beeville, Texas) added 12 kills and eight digs, while sophomore Kristin Hamlett (Escondido, Calif) notched 11 kills and three assisted blocks. Sophomore Rebecca Gallegos (Las Vegas, N.M.) hit a team-best .500, killing three of four attacks and committing just one error.
The opening minutes of the first game were a back-and-forth battle. Air Force advanced to a five-point lead, which Wyoming responded with a run of their own to tie the game at eight. The Cowgirls took a two-point lead, but the Falcons answered with two consecutive points to match the score. When the Falcons claimed a one-point advantage off of a kill by Jefferson at the 14-15 mark, they refused to look back. A pair of service errors by the Cowgirls and a kill by Hamlett put the Falcons ahead by four at 23-19. Air Force stretched its lead to six at 28-22 and although Wyoming attempted a comeback, the Falcons earned thier victory 30-26. The Falcons hit .438 in the game, killing 20 of 32 attacks, while committing just six errors.
The second game started much like the first, with Air Force taking the first point on a service error by Wyoming. Although there were several ties within the game and the Cowgirls took two leads, the Falcons never lost their command. After a 2-2 tie, the Falcons took the lead until the Cowgirls tied it up again at 13, as Diaz had four kills during that stretch. The game tied again at 14, but Carly Siefken (Beaverton, Ore.) served her conference-leading 42nd ace as Air Force regained the lead. After tying the score at 20 and again at 21, Wyoming took a 23-21 lead. Air Force tied it up with a kill by Jefferson. Jefferson added one more kill to reclaim the lead, but again the Cowgirls tied it up and took the lead by one. A Hamlett kill tied it up and with the score again locked at 28-all, two Diaz kills secured the win and put the Falcons up two games.
Game three was the definining game of the match, as it saw the Falcons get into a hole behind hard-hitting from the Cowgirls, but come back to complete the sweep. Air Force took an early 7-4 lead behind kills by Diaz, Hamlett, Gallegos and Molly White (Lafayette, La.), but the Cowgirls refused to go down in their final home game of the season. After tying the game at 10, Wyoming earned three consecutive points to draw out its lead. The Cowgirls embarked on a 4-0 run to widen its lead to 21-16, before Hamlett stopped the streak with a kill. With 22 points, the Falcons watched Wyoming pull within four of earning the game win. But Air Force refused to go down and it was then Wyoming's turn to watch the Falcons score eight unanswered points to complete the remarkable come-from-behind win.
White was a key figure in the Falcons' comeback, posting five of her eight total kills during the last game, including four in the final, decisive plays.
The Falcons finished the regular season with an even overall record at 14-14. Air Force tied with Wyoming for sixth in the Mountain West Conference, as each team posted identical 4-10 records. Because the Falcons swept the Cowgirls during the season, Air Force will be the sixth-seed and face No. 3-seed BYU in the upcoming MWC Volleyball Tournament, which begins Thursday, Nov. 20, at Peterson Gym in San Diego, Calif. Match time will be announced shortly.
