Air Force Academy
Nevada
Air Force Falls to Nevada in Straight Sets
10/24/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 24, 2015
RENO, Nev. – The Air Force volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to Nevada this afternoon (Oct. 24) in Reno, falling in straight 27-29, 15-25, 23-25 sets to the host Wolfpack. The loss dropped the Falcons to 10-14 on the year and 3-6 in Mountain West action.
Senior Akokwe Clement and sophomore Shelley Spires registered double-digit kill totals for the Falcons, posting totals of 16 and 12, respectively, to combine for 28 of the team's 39 kills. Clement also provided scoring from the serving line, as she, senior Rachael Bradley Powers, classmate Rebecca Bates and freshman Shanleigh Conlan each tallied a service ace. Defensively, Bates led the team in digs (14), while fellow senior Taylor Parker collected four blocks (all assisted).
Parker helped Air Force to an early 3-1 lead, putting down a kill and teaming up with Clement for a block. The pair registered another assisted block and Conlan earned a service ace, as the Falcons moved the score to 5-2. Senior Maggie Sherrill added a score, but Nevada tallied six of the next eight points to take its first lead of the set (9-8). Freshman Elizabeth Pennington put down a kill to even the score at eight, while an ace by Bradley Powers gave the advantage back to Air Force (9-8). Clement added three kills, tying the score at 10 and 11, before giving Air Force the lead at the 13-12 mark. Sherrill tallied a pair of scores and teamed up with Parker for a block as the Falcons' extended their lead to four (19-15). The Wolfpack responded with a 5-1 run to even the set at 20, before Clement put down kills to retake the lead (21-20, 22-21). With Nevada leading 24-23, Air Force held off three set-points but the Wolfpack captured the final two points for the 29-27 victory.
Air Force scored the first three points of the second set, but Nevada claimed the next six before senior Raquel Rosas and Clement put down kills to halt the run. Spires added a pair of scores and recorded a solo block, but the Wolfpack extended their lead to 10 (21-11). Pennington, Rosas and Parker added kills, while Clement tallied a solo block, but Nevada took the set by a 25-15 margin.
A kill from Parker and an ace from Bates opened the third set, while two kills and an ace from Clement, as well as a block by Sherrill and Rosas, gave Air Force a 6-4 lead. Spires (three) and Clement (two) combined for five kills, but the Wolfpack went ahead 13-10. Pennington (13-12) and Clement (15-14) kept the Falcons within one, while kills from Spires bookended a solo block from Rosas to give the Falcons the lead at 17-16. Nevada responded with three straight points, but another pair of kills from Spires put Air Force up 20-19. Nevada scored three of the next four, with Clement recording a score to tie the set at 22. Clement added one more kill, but the Wolfpack claimed the deciding point for the 25-23 win.
The Falcons continue their three-match road trip on Tuesday, Oct. 27, when they travel to Albuquerque to face travel-partner New Mexico at 6:30 p.m.
