Air Force Drops 3-1 Decision to Wyoming

Oct. 30, 2008

LARAMIE, Wyo. - Despite a strong start, the Air Force volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to Wyoming on Thursday, Oct 30, in Laramie, Wyo. After winning the first set 25-20, the Falcons fell in 25-19, 25-15 and 25-13 sets at the UniWyo Complex.

Senior Jasamine Pettie led all Falcons with 10 kills, while junior Katie Batchelder added seven. Pettie's .240 attack percentage was also a team-high. Junior Michelle Harrington led all players with seven blocks, including three solo stops. Senior Kristina Stewart tallied a team-leading eight digs, while sophomore Stephanie Stanford posted 21 of the team's 31 assists.

Junior Jocelyn Booker, who made her first appearance of the season in the starting rotation, was perfect in the opening stanza, connecting on all five of her attacks.

Air Force took the first point of the night with a block by Harrington and Batchelder. Following a kill by Booker, Wyoming tied the set at two, beginning a theme of the set. The teams traded points, but Air Force never relinquished the lead. Kills by Pettie and Booker, as well as a service ace by Stanford helped give the Falcons a three-point lead at the 14-11 mark. Kills by Booker accounted for three straight Air Force points, as Air Force rolled to a 25-20 victory.

The first-set victory is the first for Air Force in conference play since taking one from the Cowgirls on Oct. 4 at the Academy. The 25-20 victory also marked the first time since the 2005 season that the Falcons have won more than two conference games in a single season.

After surrendering the first point of the second set, Air Force rattled off the next four, thanks to a pair of kills from Batchelder. The Cowgirls tied the game at five and took the lead on the ensuing point. A Wyoming error helped Air Force tie the set at eight. The Falcons also tied things at nine, 10 and 11, before Wyoming reclaimed the lead. Harrington added a pair of kills, but the Cowgirls went on to claim the 25-18 victory.

Air Force surrendered six straight points in an early 8-2 run by the Cowgirls, before Harrington and Pettie tallied a pair of kills on back-to-back plays. Pettie added another set of kills, but Wyoming bolstered its lead to 13-5 and caused the Falcons to use its second timeout of the set. Batchelder and Stewart helped add to the Falcons' total and sophomore Caroline Kurtz put Air Force over the 10-point plateau. Air Force collected back-to-back points as Pettie posted a kill and Harrington served up an ace, but Wyoming collected the 25-15 victory.

Four errant serves and an attacking error by Wyoming were the only points for Air Force during a 15-5 run to open the fourth set. Batchelder gave the Falcons their first earned point of the set with a kill. Stewart added a kill and a pair of solo blocks by Harrington allowed the Falcons to cross the 10-point mark. Wyoming continued to score, drawing out the 25-13 victory.

It's an early match for the Falcons on Saturday, Nov. 1, when they take on No. 14 Colorado State in Fort Collins. Air Force will face the Rams at 12 p.m., at Moby Arena.