Air Force Academy
Fresno State
Air Force Falls to Fresno State in Straight Sets
10/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 17, 2015
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team dropped a 3-0 conference decision to Fresno State this afternoon (Oct. 17) at the Academy's Cadet East Gym. The Falcons, who were swept 25-23, 25-18, 25-16 by the visiting Bulldogs, fell to 9-13 on the season and 2-5 in Mountain West action.
Senior Akokwe Clement paced the Falcons with nine kills, while sophomore Shelley Spires added eight. Elizabeth Pennington, who registered a .333 average with six kills on 12 attempts and two errors, was one of three Falcons to post a team-high three blocks. The freshman joined seniors Taylor Parker and Maggie Sherrill will a trio of assisted stops. Fellow senior Rebecca Bates collected eight digs, while freshman Shanleigh Conlan led the team in assists (15) and service aces (one).
The Falcons took an early 4-3 lead to start the match behind a pair of kills from Clement, but Fresno State scored six of the next seven points to take a 9-5 lead. Backed by a pair of kills from Spires, as well as a kill and assisted block from Parker, Air Force evened the score at 10. Parker added another pair of scores, while back-to-back kills from Sherrill and Spires reinstated the tie at 15. Air Force took its first lead of the match on the ensuing play behind two point-saving digs from Bates, while kills from Pennington (two) and Spires (one) gave Air Force a 20-16 lead. Spires added two more kills, but Fresno State used a late 9-3 run to take the first set by a 25-23 score.
Clement scored the Falcons' first three points, while a score by Pennington evened the set at four. Sherrill put down a kill and teamed up with Parker for a block, as Air Force took an 8-6 lead and forced Fresno State into an early timeout. The Falcons maintained its lead behind kills from Parker and freshman Abigail Miksch, but the Bulldogs eventually tied the set at 13 and followed with a 7-1 run that gave the visiting team a 19-14 lead. Sherrill again put down a kill and teamed up with Parker for a block, but Fresno State closed out the set on a 6-1 run to win by a 25-18 margin.
Kills from Sherrill and Clement, as well as three straight errors by Fresno State, gave Air Force an early 5-2 lead, but the Bulldogs responded with seven of the next eight points (9-6). Spires and Pennington collected a block that halted the run, but Fresno State used another 7-1 run to double up the Falcons at the 22-11 mark. Clement, Pennington and Heineck recorded kills, but the Bulldogs completed the sweep with a 25-16 victory.
"They outplayed us," head coach Matt McShane said. "The first game was rough – we outhit them and, in pretty much every stat, we were better. But, we couldn't close it out. The next two, we got down and (Fresno State) did a great job of playing defense on us. We're all disappointed."
After a short two-match home stand, the Falcons head back out on the road for three conference contests. Air Force will travel to San Diego State on Thursday, Oct. 22, and Nevada, on Saturday, Oct. 24, before heading to New Mexico on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
