Comeback Falls Just Short in Heartbreaking Loss to Cougars

Oct. 13, 2007

CHICAGO, Ill. - Despite four players with double-digit kill totals, the Air Force volleyball team dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 match to Chicago State in the final non-conference tilt of the season. The Falcons dropped the first two sets by 30-28 and 30-24 scores, before rallying to take the next two sets with 30-23 and 30-28 scores and force a fifth game. Although the Falcons took the early lead, the Cougars pulled out the 16-14 win.

Four Falcons tallied double-digit kill totals, as the Falcons tied for the second-most kills of the season. Sophomore Katie Batchelder led the team with 18 kills and an impressive .405 hitting percentage (18k-3e-37a). Freshman Nichole Stilwell added 14, while junior Jasamine Pettie and freshman Caroline Kurtz added totals of 12 and 10, respectively.

Senior Kim Kallabis accounted for a season-best 57 assists, while Kurtz accounted for three of the Falcons' six service aces. Stilwell led the team with four blocks (one solo, three assisted), while Pettie added in three assisted stops.

In addition to kills, Air Force accounted for the second-most digs on the season with 76. Kurtz led all players with 22, while Kallabis and Batchelder added respective totals of 13 and 11. The double-doubles that Batchelder (18 kills-11 digs) and Kallabis (57 assists-13 digs) achieved were the first such double-doubles for the Falcons since Sept. 15.

Air Force hit above .150 in four of the five games, including a .375 in the third set. Overall, the Falcons hit .225, which ranks in the top-five performances of the season. As a team, Air Force accounted for nearly 20 more kills that Chicago State and posted a much better hitting percentage, but was hurt from the line, as the Falcons committed 22 service errors.

Air Force returns to Mountain West Conference action on Thursday, Oct 18, when it hosts TCU at the Academy's Clune Arena.

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.