Air Force Academy
Utah State
Falcons Claim First-Ever Victory Over Utah State
11/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 22, 2015
LOGAN, Utah – Highlighted by a career-best 21 kills from sophomore Shelley Spires, the Air Force volleyball team captured its first-ever victory over Utah State this evening (Nov. 21) in Logan, Utah. The Falcons downed the Aggies 25-22, 25-19, 23-25, 25-19, en route to their third true road win of the year.
Two program records fell during the Falcons' night on Kirby Court. Senior Rebecca Bates registered a season-high 29 digs to take over the program's Division I career record, while sophomore Piper Heineck recorded a DI single-match record 10 blocks (two solo, 10 assisted).
Spires, who recorded the second 20-kill match of her career, was one of two Falcons to post double figures in that category, as senior Akokwe Clement accounted for 18 kills on a match-high .302 average (18k-5e-43a). Classmate Taylor Parker picked up a pair of service aces, while the freshmen setting duo of Sarah Hellman and Shanleigh Conlan each posted 22 assists.
Utah State scored the first three points of the match, but then committed three straight errors that allowed Air Force to tie the set. Clement and classmate Maggie Sherrill put down kills, but the Aggies held and early 9-6 advantage. Utah State extended its lead to five (14-9), but Air Force scored the next four points to pull within one (14-13). Parker and Clement tallied kills during the run, while Clement teamed up with Heineck for the team's first block. Another 4-0 run helped Air Force even the score at 17 (Heineck/Spires block) and take its first lead of the match (18-17) off of a kill from Spires. The sophomore added another pair of kills (20-18, 21-20), while additional scores from Parker (23-21) and Clement (24-22) helped Air Force take the set by a 25-22 margin.
The win was the Falcons' first ‘set' victory at Utah State since the opening of their 2013 contest in Logan.
Clement and Parker teamed up for a block to start the second set, while Heineck partnered with freshman Elizabeth Pennington and Clement to tie the game at four. Utah State took a two-point lead (6-4), before the Falcons rolled off 10 of the next 11 points to go up 14-8. Spires registered five kills during that run, including a span of three straight, while Bates and Pennington registered service aces and Parker and Pennington teamed up for a block. Clement and Spires both added a pair of kills, while Pennington and Heineck combined for the team's fifth block of the match, as Air Force claimed the 25-19 victory.
Two kills each from Spires and Clement, as well as a kill and solo block from Heineck, helped Air Force take a 7-5 lead to start the third set. Utah State scored six of the next eight to go up 11-9, but three straight points from the Falcons (Clement kill, Heineck kill, Parker/Heineck block) helped the Falcons tie the set at 13. Additional kills from Pennington (14) and Spires (16) kept the score tied, while Air Force took a 17-16 lead following a block from Sherrill and Parker. The Aggies scored five of the next six to go up 21-18, by a service ace from Parker helped even the score at 21. Clement put down a kill to tie the set at 23-all and added another to pull within one (24-23), but Utah State earned the final point for the 25-23 decision.
Clement (two kills) and Hellman (one) combined for the Falcons' first three points of the fourth set, before a 6-0 run gave Air Force a 9-4 advantage. Parker put down another service ace during that run, while Heineck and Pennington teamed up for a pair of blocks. Spires, who tallied a kill and assisted on a block with Heineck during the Falcons' run, added another pair of kills to help Air Force double up Utah State at the 12-6 mark. Clement and Spires each posted a pair of Air Force points, while Heineck and Sherrill teamed up for another block. The pair also added kills, as the Falcons extended their lead to eight (22-14). Clement and Sherrill strung together two more points, as Air Force took the victory by a 25-19 margin.
Air Force wraps up the 2015 season on Tuesday, Nov. 24, when it hosts New Mexico on Senior Night.
