Air Force Academy
New Mexico
Air Force Drops 3-0 Decision at New Mexico
10/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 27, 2015
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Air Force volleyball team closed out a three-match road trip with a 25-18, 28-26, 25-17 loss to New Mexico on Tuesday, Oct. 27, in Albuquerque. The decision dropped the Falcons to 10-15 on the season and 3-7 in Mountain West action.
Freshman Elizabeth Pennington, who registered a pair of solo blocks, en route to a three-block performance, recorded the first three service aces of her Air Force career. Pennington was one of three Falcons to record an ace in the match, as classmate Shanleigh Conlan collected two and Albuquerque native Rachael Bradley Powers added one. Senior Akokwe Clement tallied a team-high nine kills, while Bradley Powers and classmate Rebecca Bates each recorded that total in digs. Freshman Sarah Hellman rounded out the Falcons' stat leaders with 14 assists.
Clement scored the Falcons' first two points of the match, while kills from Pennington and sophomore Shelley Spires helped Air Force even the score at six. The Lobos tallied the next three points (9-6) before senior Maggie Sherrill put down a kill to stop the run. Clement added another pair of scores and Conlan registered a service, but New Mexico used a 6-2 run following the media timeout to take a 17-11 lead. Spires, Clement and senior Taylor Parker added kills, but UNM took the set by a 25-18 margin.
Pennington and Sherrill combined for three of the Falcons' first four points to start the second set, as Air Force jumped out to a 4-2 lead. During the opening stretch, Pennington recorded a solo block and Sherrill notched a kill, while the two teamed up for another block. New Mexico evened the score at eight and took the lead with a 7-1 run (15-10). A pair of kills from both Pennington and Spires, as well as aces from Pennington and Conlan, helped Air Force pull within one (18-17). Another score from Spires tied the score at 20, while Clement put down a kill that gave the Falcons a 21-20 lead. The teams traded the next five points, before New Mexico reached set-point at 24-23. Spires, Pennington and freshman Abigail Miksch put down kills, as Air Force traded points with UNM, but the Lobos were finally able to claim the final point for the 28-26 victory.
A block from Sherrill and Parker, as well as service ace from Bradley Powers kicked off the third set, while Parker registered a kill to give Air Force a 3-2 lead. New Mexico scored seven of the next nine points (9-5), but back-to-back kills from Spires and back-to-back aces from Pennington tied the set at nine. The Lobos scored five of the next six to go ahead four (14-10), before Pennington added a solo block and teamed up with Clement for another stop to pull within 17-14. Clement added one final kill, but New Mexico completed the sweep with a 25-17 victory.
After three straight matches on the road, the Falcons return to the Academy this Saturday (Oct. 31), when they host San Jose State at 2:00 p.m., on Falcon Court.
