Air Force Academy
Centenary
Air Force Wins Two in Mississippi
10/16/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 16, 2006
ALCORN STATE, Miss. - The Air Force volleyball team snapped its 14-match winless streak with a pair of victories over Centenary and Alcorn State in a non-conference doubleheader on Monday, Oct. 16, in Alcorn State, Miss. After dropping the first two sets to Centenary 30-25 and 30-24, the Falcons responded with three straight wins (30-25, 38-36, 15-10) en route to the 3-2 match win. In the nightcap, Air Force swept host Alcorn State with a 3-0 victory (30-16, 30-25, 30-17). The wins are the first for Air Force since a 3-0 sweep of Norfolk State on Sept. 1. The third game victory against Centenary also snapped a 29-game losing streak for the Falcons. Despite strong hitting in the first two matches against neutral-court opponent Centenary, Air Force found themselves down 2-0 in the set. Refusing to quit, the Falcons regrouped to take the third game by a 30-25 margin. During the second set, freshman Jocelyn Booker started a stretch of 12 straight kills, easily beating their middle blockers to help swing the momentum for the Falcons. In the fourth game, Air Force had a late 27-19 lead on the Centenary, but it was forced to watch the Ladies climb back in to tie the score and send the game into extra points. Playing point for point, Air Force remained focused to take the set by a 38-36 score. Playing its first five-game match of the season, Air Force completed the comeback with a 15-10 victory. Booker, whose 12 straight kills sparked the Falcons, led the team with 18 total kills and a team-best .484 hitting percentage. Air Force also caught Centenary from the line, serving up 14 total aces - a mark just two shy of the new Division I single-match record that was set earlier this year. Freshman Katie Batchelder and sophomore Kristina Stewart chipped in four apiece, while junior Rebecca Gerton put down three. Freshman Michelle Harrington had a stellar defensive match as well. In addition to assisting on four blocks, Harrington added a trio of solo stops. In addition, Batchelder and Booker added in six assisted blocks. Air Force blocked its way to 17 total stops - one shy of the Division I single-match record (18) set in 1999. Junior Morgan Dolan, who made her first libero appearance in the third game, led the team with 15 digs. She was joined by sophomore Ellen Bina (13), Stewart (11), junior Kim Kallabis (10) and Batchelder (10) as Falcons who tallied double-digit dig totals. As a team, Air Force hit .100 in every game, including three that went over .350. With momentum on their side, Air Force returned to the court two hours later for a match with host Alcorn State. The Falcons picked up right where they left off, taking the first set by a 30-16 score. Air Force built up its lead with Gerton at the line, as she collected three aces during a long scoring rally. The Braves pulled close to the Falcons in the second set, but Air Force regained the 30-25 lead. The Falcons closed out the game with six straight serves from sophomore Tracee Curlett, who collected her first collegiate ace during that run. Air Force took care of business in the final game, disposing of its opponent, 30-17, to complete the sweep. Batchelder led the Falcons with 14 kills. Harrington, whose defensive abilities helped guide the Falcons over Centenary, showed off her offensive skills against Alcorn State. The freshman collected 13 kills, including a match-opening span of six straight connections. Harrington also earned a pair of solo blocks, as well as another pair of assisted stops. Sophomore Jasamine Pettie matched those blocking totals to tie for the team lead. Dolan, who earned the starting libero job for the ASU match, led the team with 15 digs, while Kallabis tacked on another 11. Gerton led the squad with five service aces to match her career-best single-match output. In her first action of the day, freshman April Jorgenson subbed in to serve and earned an ace on her very first play. After playing conference matches on Friday and Saturday and then the two non-conference matches Monday, the Falcons have another quick turnaround. Air Force heads to New Mexico and TCU to begin the second stretch of Mountain West Conference action this weekend. The Falcons visit Albuquerque on Friday (Oct. 20) and Fort Worth on Saturday (Oct. 21).
