Air Force Academy
New Mexico
Attacking Miscues Doom Falcons at New Mexico
9/20/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 20, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Attacking woes plagued the Air Force volleyball team, as it dropped a straight-set match to New Mexico in Mountain West Conference action on Thursday, Sept. 20, in Albuquerque, N.M. Accounting for just 12 kills in the three-game match, the Falcons fell in consecutive 30-8, 30-7, 30-19 sets.
New Mexico scored the first five points of the match, before a UNM error and an ace by senior Morgan Dolan put the Falcons on the board. A pair of kills by sophomore Michelle Harrington cut Air Force's deficit to three (9-6), but several errors gave the Lobos a 15-6 lead. New Mexico used a 15-1 run to close out the set with the 30-8 win.
Junior Kristina Stewart posted the Falcons first kill of the second match and followed that up by assisting on a block with freshman Nichole Stilwell. The Lobos served up the next 13 points, before Stewart added another kill. Sophomore Katie Batchelder tallied another kill and Harrington connected on an overpass, but the Falcons fell by a 30-7 score.
The Lobos rolled out to a 7-0 lead to start the third game, before sending a serve into the net. Batchelder, Harrington and Stilwell all added kills, while freshman Kelly Spencer's overpass connected with the floor to bring the score to 13-6. Several New Mexico errors and an overpass by Harrington brought the score to 16-11. Helped by a pair of kills from freshman Albuquerque native Caroline Kurtz, Air Force continued to add points. New Mexico tallied the 30-19 victory.
Harrington led the Falcons with five kills, while Stewart and Stilwell tallied two blocks apiece. Air Force received aces from Dolan and freshman Jessica Hellmann. In addition, Dolan led the squad with seven digs and Hellmann accounted for six assists.
The Falcons continue on the road tomorrow (Sept. 21), when they travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to face TCU at 7 p.m., in a Mountain West Conference showdown.
