Air Force Swept By Nevada in Conference Action

Oct. 29, 2016

RENO, Nev. – The Air Force volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to Nevada this afternoon (Oct. 29) at the Virginia Street Gym in Reno. The Falcons, who dropped straight 25-12, 25-17, 25-23 sets to the host Wolf Pack, fell to 9-16 on the season.

Junior Piper Heineck accounted for a team-high six blocks (two solo, four assisted), while freshman Denise Ssozi led the team in kills (12) and hitting (.214, 12k-6e-28a). Senior Savannah Banyai registered the team's lone service ace, while sophomore Shanleigh Conlan accounted for 27 assists and nine digs.

After Nevada scored the first two points of the match, Air Force evened the set with back-to-back points from Ssozi (kill) and Heineck (block). Sophomore Elizabeth Pennington added a kill, but the Wolf Pack scored 12 of the next 13 points to take an 18-5 lead. Sophomore Abigail Miksch sparked a 4-0 run that included two kills and a block from Ssozi, as Air Force cut its deficit to nine (18-9). A block from Heineck and Pennington put the Falcons in double figures, but Nevada took the first set by a 25-12 margin.

Air Force earned kills from Ssozi and Conlan, but the Wolf Pack opened the second set on a 10-3 run. Pennington accounted for four straight Air Force points, including a pair of kills on back-to-back plays, but the Wolf Pack pushed its lead to eight (17-9). Heineck and Conlan teamed up for a block, while Miksch and Ssozi each tallied a pair of kills, but Nevada claimed the 25-17 victory.

A pair of kills from Pennington, as well as a solo block from Heineck, helped the Falcons take a 4-1 lead to start the third set. The Wolf Pack pulled within one (4-3), but kills from Miksch, Heineck and Ssozi pushed the Falcons' lead back to three (9-6), while a kill from sophomore Lauren Heldt and a service ace from Banyai extended the advantage to four (13-9). Nevada tied the set at 14 and the squads traded the next eight points, with Ssozi and Heldt combining for Air Force's four kills (two kills from Ssozi, one kill from Heldt, block from Ssozi and Heldt). After tying the set at 18, Nevada tallied the next two points for a 20-18 lead, but Air Force evened the score with a kill from Miksch. Nevada took a two-point lead at 22-20, but Heineck put down two kills and teamed up for a block with freshman Bianca Walker to give Air Force the 23-22 advantage. However, the Wolf Pack claimed the final three points for the 25-23 victory.

Air Force remains on the road next week, as it travels to Utah State on Saturday, Nov. 5.

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