Air Force Academy
Boise State
Falcons Fall to Boise State in Season Finale
11/22/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BOISE, Idaho – The Air Force volleyball team concluded the 2016 season with a 3-0 loss to conference champion Boise State this evening (Nov. 22) at Bronco Gym in Boise, Idaho. Sophomore Elizabeth Pennington and freshman Denise Ssozi combined for 20 of the team's 31 kills, while the Falcons fell in straight 25-15, 25-15, 25-20 sets to the host Broncos.
Pennington and Ssozi tallied 10 kills apiece, while sophomore Abigail Miksch, who contributed eight kills to the Falcons' total, led the squad with a .353 hitting percentage (8k-2e-17a). Sophomore Shanleigh Conlan led the team in assists (21) and digs (nine), while junior Piper Heineck tallied four blocks (all assisted) and senior Savannah Banyai matched her career-high with three service aces.
Pennington and Ssozi teamed up for the first two points of the match, as Air Force jumped out to the early 3-1 lead. Pennington and Heineck teamed up for a block (4-2), but the Broncos scored the next seven points to force the Falcons into an early timeout at the 4-9 mark. Miksch put down a kill to break Boise State's run (5-9), but the host team scored seven of the next eight points to push its lead to 16-7. Kills from Ssozi, Pennington and Heineck put the Falcons in double figures and Miksch added a pair of scores, but Boise State took the opening set by a 25-15 margin.
Despite kills from Pennington and Ssozi, Boise State took the early 5-2 advantage to start the second set. Heineck teamed up for blocks with Ssozi (3-5) and Miksch (5-7), while a kill from Miksch helped pull the Falcons within one (8-9). A kill block from Ssozi and sophomore Lauren Heldt helped Air Force even the set at nine, while a kill from Pennington gave Air Force its first lead of the set (10-9). Boise State matched the score on the ensuing play and rolled out to a 20-12 lead. Pennington and Miksch added kills, while Banyai served up an ace, but Boise State repeated the score with a 25-15 victory.
Ssozi and Pennington put down kills, but Boise State opened the third set on a 9-3 run and extended it to 13-5, which forced Air Force into a timeout. Ssozi tallied three of the Falcons' next five points, while a block from Pennington and Heineck helped put the Falcons into double digits. A pair of aces from Banyai bookended a kill from Miksch that saw Air Force cut its deficit to three (15-18), while a score from Ssozi helped shrink the margin down to two (18-20). However, the Broncos responded with four of the final five points to take the 25-20 victory and secure the outright Mountain West regular-season title.
The Falcons finished the 2016 season with a 10-21 record and a 1-17 mark in conference play.
