Air Force Academy
BYU
Air Force Falls in Three to BYU
10/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 26, 2007
PROVO, Utah - The Air Force volleyball team dropped a three-game match to BYU in Mountain West Conference action on Friday, Oct. 26, in Provo, Utah. Despite nearly out-blocking the second-best team in the league in that category, Air Force fell in straight 30-19, 30-13, 30-15 games.
BYU tallied the first four points of the match, but freshman Nichole Stilwell put down the first kill for Air Force. Classmate Caroline Kurtz added a kill and sophomore Michelle Harrington added a pair of kills to pull Air Force within 16-10. Junior Kristina Stewart and Kurtz added kills, while Kurtz recorded a service ace. Sophomore Katie Batchelder and Stilwell each collected kills, while Kurtz made a diving dig to keep a ball in play.
Harrington collected the first point of the second game and added an assisted block, but BYU used an 11-3 run to take a large midway advantage. Stewart and freshman Jessica Hellmann added kills, but the Cougars maintained its lead. Ending the match with a lineup that consisted of five freshmen (Hellmann, Kurtz, Stilwell, Kelly Spencer and Julia Hansen) and senior libero Morgan Dolan, the Falcons made BYU earn its final few points.
Kurtz and Harrington put down the first two kills of the third set. BYU took the next three points, but a BYU serve into the net tied things up at three. Stewart and classmate Jasamine Pettie added kills to retake the lead, but the Cougars responded once again to tie the game at five. BYU pulled out to the 9-5 lead before Harrington stopped the streak with a kill. Air Force pulled back within two after a BYU error and a kill from Batchelder. BYU extended its lead to 10, although Harrington and Pettie added kills in the set.
As a team, the Falcons accounted for 6.0 team blocks (two solo, eight assisted) to nearly match the Cougars' team total of 6.5 (13 assisted). In fact, the Falcons were out-blocking the Cougars midway through the final game.
Harrington, who tallied a team-high five kills, also collected a match-best four blocks (one solo, three assisted). Senior Kim Kallabis tallied a team-high 11 assists, while Dolan accounted for a team-best eight digs. However, it was a night for blocking, as the Batchelder (two assisted) and Hellmann (one solo, one assisted) helped contribute to the Falcons' totals (Stewart and Stilwell each added an assisted stop).
The Falcons remain in the Beehive State tomorrow night (Oct. 27) when they travel to Salt Lake City to face Utah at 7 p.m., on the Crimson Court.
