Air Force Heads to UNLV, San Diego State
10/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Air Force volleyball team heads back out on the road this week for a pair of Mountain West matches. The Falcons, currently ranked second in the conference with a 3-1 record, will travel to UNLV on Thursday, Oct. 9, and San Diego State on Saturday, Oct. 11. Both matches are scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. (PT).
Match Notes 07: at UNLV, at San Diego State 
OPPONENT PREVIEW: UNLV
UNLV is currently 13-5 on the season and 1-2 in conference play. The Rebels are coming off of a 0-2 weekend that included road losses to seventh-ranked Colorado State (3-1) and Wyoming (3-0). UNLV is ranked second in team digs (14.70 per set) and third in team blocks (3.06 per set), while ranking third in opponent hitting percentage (.149). Individually, Allison Davies (4.36 digs per set) and Bree Hammel (1.52 blocks per set) are ranked second in their respective stat categories. UNLV is 34-2 all-time against Air Force, including an 18-0 record in Las Vegas.
OPPONENT PREVIEW: SAN DIEGO STATE
San Diego State, which will host New Mexico prior to its match with Air Force, is currently 5-8 overall and 1-2 in league play. The Aztecs, who have faced four nationally-ranked teams this season (#25 Arizona State, #17 Hawaii, #19 San Diego, #7 Colorado State), dropped a pair of road contests to Wyoming (3-1) and Colorado State (3-0) last week. As a team, San Diego State is ranked fifth in the conference in aces (1.36) after tallying 64 in 41 sets. San Diego State holds a 33-2 advantage over the Falcons, including a 17-0 slate in San Diego.
MAKING A NAME AMONG NATION'S BEST
With 791 total assists, Hillary Keltner is ranked second in the nation, according to the Oct. 6 release of NCAA stats. She is also listed 23rd in assists-per-set, with an 11.14 average, while the team is listed seventh in total assists (920).
AROUND THE CONFERENCE
In Mountain West matches, three Falcons are ranked among the conference's top-five, while the team holds several top-three rankings. Individually, Hillary Keltner is ranked second in assists (11.39), while Rebecca Bates is ranked third in digs (4.17) and Shelley Spires is listed fifth in hitting percentage (.346). As a team, the Falcons are ranked second in hitting percentage (.267), kills (14.06) and digs (14.17), while standing third in assists with a 12.89 average.
MAKING HISTORY
After two weeks of conference play, the Falcons are 3-1. Not only is that the Falcons' best conference opening in Division I history, but the three victories have matched or exceeded their win totals from nine of the last 10 years. Air Force, which matched its best conference win total with five victories last season, combined for just the same number of wins during the previous nine years (5-135 from 2004-12).
GOING FOR THE BIG NUMBERS
Several milestone numbers were reached during the Falcons' 3-1 win over Boise State on Oct. 2, as Hillary Keltner recorded her 3500th career assist, Akokwe Clement notched her 850th kill and Raquel Rosas earned her 110th assisted block.
FALCONS SET PROGRAM RECORD FOR LONGEST MW WIN STREAK
After ending the 2013 season with a pair of conference victories and starting the 2014 season with three more, the Falcons rolled off a five-match MW win streak that marked the longest such streak in program history. The five straight wins bested the previous mark of three that came following wins over New Mexico, San Diego State and UNLV during the 1999 season.
WHAT'S ON DECK
The Falcons return to the Academy next week for the start of a four-match homestand. Playing on back-to-back nights for the first time since the conference season started, Air Force will host Wyoming on Thursday, Oct. 16, and seventh-ranked Colorado State on Friday, Oct. 17. Both matches are slated to begin at 6:00 p.m.
