Air Force Academy
Boise State
Akokwe Clement Becomes Air Force Division I Kills Leader
11/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 18, 2015
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. -- Senior Akokwe Clement became Air Force's Division I leader in kills this evening (Nov. 18), as the volleyball team wrapped up a home contest with Boise State at the Cadet East Gym. In all, three milestones were set this evening, as the Falcons dropped a 13-25, 22-25, 25-18, 21-25 decision to the visiting Broncos.
With a team-leading 15 kills to move to 1,470 lifetime, Clement broke the previous record of 1468 that had stood since 2003. In addition, teammate Taylor Parker registered three assisted blocks to break the program's DI single-season record of 104 that had stood since 1999 and fellow senior Maggie Sherrill recorded her 1,000th kill to become only the fourth Division I player to reach that plateau.
With the addition of Sherrill to the 1,000-kill club, Air Force became just the fourth team in the nation to boast two 1000K players that on its 2015 roster.
Clement was one of two Falcons to register a double-digit kill total, as sophomore Shelley Spires tallied 10. In addition to leading the team in blocks, with four total (one solo, three assisted), Parker also hit at a team-leading .364 clip. Freshmen Sarah Hellman (22) and Shanleigh Conlan (20) combined for 42 of the team's 48 assists, while seniors Rachael Bradley Powers and Rebecca Bates each recorded a service ace. Bates also rounded out the Falcons' statistical leaders with 11 digs.
Despite kills from Parker and sophomore Piper Heineck, Boise State jumped out to an early 7-2 lead to start the match. Air Force received kills from Spires, Hellman and Sherrill, but the Broncos doubled the Falcons up at 16-8 and increased their lead to 12 (20-8), before Clement stopped the run with a kill. Spires and freshman Elizabeth Pennington added kills, but Boise State took the set, 25-13.
Pennington struck first in the second set, while a block from Parker and Heineck evened the score at five. The Broncos took a 10-5 advantage, but three BSU attacking errors and a kill from Pennington brought the Falcons within one. The Falcons strung together another four points, including a kill from Clement and a block from Heineck and Sherrill to tie the score at 14. Boise State responded with five of the next six points (18-15), but four straight points from the Falcons - including a kill from Spires, an ace from Bates and a block from Parker and Sherrill - gave the lead to the Falcons at the 19-18 mark. The Broncos scored the next four points and, despite scores from Sherrill, Pennington and Clement, took the set by a 25-22 margin.
An ace by Bradley Powers and a kill from Pennington helped Air Force to a 4-1 lead, while additional kills from Clement, Sherrill and classmate Raquel Rosas gave the Falcons a two-point lead (8-6). Four errant attacks by the Broncos, as well as three kills from Clement and a score from Hellman, stretched Air Force's advantage to eight (18-10), while Rosas put down another score to keep that margin (20-12). Pennington and Spires added kills to their totals, as Air Force extended the match with a 25-18 win.
The Falcons' victory snapped a 17-set winning streak for the Broncos, who hadn't dropped a game in conference action since October.
Clement put down a pair of kills to start the fourth set, but Boise State took the early 5-2 lead. Spires added a pair of kills to bring the Falcons within one (7-6), while Parker contributed on three straight points (assisted block with Pennington, kill, solo block) to give Air Force the 10-8 lead. Clement tied the program's DI record - set by Delavane Diaz in 2003 - at the 13-11 mark and broke it on the next Air Force point (14-12). The Falcons extended its lead to three (17-14) and Spires added three kills, but Boise State evened the set at 20. Clement added one final score, but the Broncos claimed the final five points to finish the match with a 25-21 win.
"At times, we were brilliant," head coach Matt McShane said. "We can step up and fight incredibly hard - I wish we could just string together a couple more plays. (Boise State) is an amazingly good team, and in a couple of sets, we held them to pretty poor numbers - especially sets two and three. We really are playing well."
Air Force returns to action this Saturday (Nov. 21), when it travels to Utah State.
