Air Force To Play Three Matches in Four Days
8/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 30, 2010
With three matches in four days, the Air Force volleyball team has a busy week ahead of them. The Falcons open the second week of the season on Tuesday (Aug. 31) in Greeley, Colo., for a match against in-state rival Northern Colorado. Air Force will also travel to Orem, Utah, for a pair of matches against Fresno State (Thursday, Sept. 2) and Utah Valley (Friday, Sept. 3).
Match Notes 02: at Northern Colorado, vs. Fresno State, at Utah Valley
FALCONS AT HOME
Freshman Cami Richan is from Highland, Utah - a town just 15 miles from the site of two of the Falcons' matches this week in Orem. As a prep player in the Beehive State, Richan helped Lone Peak High School to back-to-back state titles in volleyball.
THE FIRST MILESTONE
It didn't take Matt McShane long to notch his first victory as a head coach. With a thrilling 3-2 victory over Long Island on Friday, Aug. 27, McShane earned his first win during his first match. It is the sixth time in program history that the Falcons' mentor has won their coaching debut.
SWEET CAROLINE
Senior Caroline Kurtz was named to the all-tournament team of the 2010 Falcon Invitational, en route to being named Air Force's Athlete of the Week. For the three-match weekend, Kurtz tallied 55 kills, 30 digs and four service aces, while pacing the Falcons in kills during all three matches. She tallied the 13th double-double of her career in the Falcons' win over Long Island, amassing 20 kills and 19 digs.
AIR FORCE IN SEASON OPENERS
With the victory over Long Island, Air Force improved to 21-14 during the first match of the season. The win also bumped the Falcons over .500 in season openers since joining Division I (8-7).
WE'RE NOT GOING DOWN QUIETLY
Trailing 2-1 in the season-opener against Long Island, Air Force rallied to win the fourth and fifth sets, en route to the match win. Even in their two losses, the Falcons kept their opponents from a sweep, winning the third set of each match. Against South Dakota State, Air Force held a six-point margin of victory in its winning set, while edging out a two-point win in the third game against Boise State.
HOME SWEET HOME
Air Force rededicated the Falcon Court at East Gym with a thrilling 3-2 win over Long Island in front of 1000 fans. That is the fifth-highest attendance ever for an Air Force home match and the third-highest ever in East Gym.
AROUND THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
After the first weekend of action, Caroline Kurtz leads the Mountain West Conference with 4.23 kills-per-set. Fellow senior Kelly Spencer is ranked second with 4.23 digs-per-set and classmate Nichole Stilwell is ranked fourth with a .360 hitting percentage. As a team, Air Force is ranked second in digs (14.77 per set) and third in opponent hitting percentage (.158).
FRESHMAN FOCUS
Annalyse Schmitt and Caitie Campbell earned a spot in the starting rotation of the Falcons' season opener. Schmitt had a stellar debut, recording a double-double (13 kills-11 digs) against Long Island. For the weekend, she amassed 30 kills and 19 digs, while assisting on a pair of blocks. Campbell's defense was immediately felt, as she tallied six blocks in her first collegiate match, including a pair of solo stops. During the three-match tournament, Campbell claimed a team-best five solo stops and assisted on six others.
