Air Force Academy
Wyoming
Air Force Drops Home Finale to Wyoming, 3-0
11/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 16, 2016
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team closed out the home portion of its 2016 season with a 3-0 loss to Wyoming on Wednesday, Nov. 16. The Falcons, unable to overcome 11 blocks from the visiting Cowgirls, fell in straight 25-14, 25-12, 25-23 sets.
Sophomore Abigail Miksch, classmate Elizabeth Pennington and freshman Denise Ssozi shared the match-lead in kills (nine), as the trio combined for 27 of the team's 38 scores. Sophomore Lauren Heldt, who hit .714 with five kills on seven attempts and no errors, posted a team-leading two blocks (both assisted). Senior Savannah Banyai collected 13 digs and was one of three Falcons to record a service ace (Pennington, sophomore Olivia Durrence), while sophomore Shanleigh Conlan tallied 35 assists.
Wyoming jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead, as Ssozi put down a kill for the Falcons' first point. A score from Pennington brought the Falcons' within one (3-2), while junior Piper Heineck and Miksch each put down a pair of kills that kept the Falcons' deficit at two (8-6). Pennington put down scores (10-7, 11-8), before Wyoming began to pull away. The Falcons earned additional points from Miksch (two kills), Heldt (kill), Ssozi (kill) and Durrence (ace), but Wyoming won the opening set by a 25-14 margin.
Ssozi and Heldt teamed up for a block, but Wyoming took a fast 6-1 lead. The Falcons earned kills from Ssozi, Miksch and freshman Bianca Walker, but the visitors held a four-point lead (10-6) and eventually doubled Air Force by a 16-8 score. Walker and Conlan teamed up for a block, while Pennington put the Falcons in double figures (22-10). Miksch added two more kills, but Wyoming took the set, 25-12.
Ssozi opened the scoring in the third set, while a kill from Pennington gave the Falcons a 3-1 lead. Wyoming scored five of the next six points, but Miksch (kill) and Banyai (ace) scored on back-to-back plays to even the set at six. The Cowgirls took a three-point lead (9-6), but the Falcons evened the score at nine behind kills from Heldt and Pennington. The teams traded the next six points until Air Force broke a 12-all tie with a 4-0 run that included an ace from Pennington and a pair of kills from Ssozi. Air Force continued to lead off of kills from Heineck (17-14), Miksch (18-16) and Heldt (19-17), but Wyoming eventually tied the set at 19 and took a 23-21 advantage. Pennington and Heineck tallied back-to-back kills to tie the set at 23, but the Cowgirls registered the final two points for the 25-23 victory.
With its home season complete, Air Force heads out on the road for its final two matches of the 2016 campaign. The Falcons are back in action on Saturday (Nov. 15), when they travel to Fort Collins to face Colorado State at 1:00 p.m.
