Falcons Set to Host Blue-Silver Scrimmage
8/16/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 16, 2016
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force volleyball team will host its second preseason scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 20. The open practice, which is slated to begin at 6:00 p.m., will be held in Clune Arena and is free to the public. The scrimmage will also be streamed on GoAirForceFalcons.com.
Air Force's 2016 squad is under the direction of first-year head coach Marc Swindle, who took over the program in April after spending the previous six seasons as an assistant coach on the Falcons' staff. Swindle will be joined on the sideline by Keith Barnett, Elysse Richardson and cadet coach Raquel Rosas. The staff will oversee a young Air Force lineup that includes just one returning starter and only three that played in more than 45 sets last year.
The Falcons' 15-player roster will be led by Savannah Banyai, the team's lone senior. Banyai, who played in 14 sets as a junior (0.36 digs/set) and has seen limited action during her first three seasons, will be looked at to fill the void of defensive specialist on the Falcons' 2016 roster.
Air Force returns both of its setters from last year's squad, including sophomore Sarah Hellman -- the only returning starter from one year ago. Hellman averaged 5.87 assists and 1.40 digs during her 126 sets, as she split setting duties with classmate Shanleigh Conlan, who added 4.84 assists and 1.10 digs in 124 sets. Fellow sophomore Elizabeth Pennington, who spent the summer as a member of the Mountain West team that competed in the European Global Challenge, tallied 1.60 kills and hit over .200 during her 110 sets of action as a first-year Falcon.
The Falcons will also see the return of junior Piper Heineck, who came on strong at the end of last season, earning starts in the final seven matches. Heineck, who averaged 1.00 blocks and 0.86 kills during her 43 total sets, also set a new program record for total blocks in a match (12, at Utah State). Sophomore Abigail Miksch and junior Natalie Seitz are back on the court after seeing limited action during the 2015 season. Miksch averaged 1.32 kills during her freshmen campaign, which included two starts and playing time in 25 sets, while Seitz averaged 0.64 digs in 11 sets of action.
Sophomores Julia Boswell, Olivia Durrence, Lauren Heldt and Ariana Mosley are back on the court in 2016, after spending their freshmen season as members of the team's practice squad. Air Force will also be joined by four newcomers this season, as sophomore Erin Sagisi and freshmen Denise Ssozi, Alina Vanecek and Bianca Walker begin their first year with the Falcons' program.
Due to ongoing construction in the Falcons' regular venue, all home contests will be played in Clune Arena this fall. With the move, there are several new seating options available, including Premium and Floor Seating. While both plans include access to hospitality and a "chalk talk" with coaches before most matches, the Premium option ($150 per season ticket) includes seating behind the bench and a team-issued practice shirt, while the Floor option ($250 per season ticket) includes courtside seating, a team-issued sweatshirt and a post-game dinner after a select match. For more information on tickets, please call 719-472-1895 or email afa.tickets@airforceathletics.org.
As always, single-match tickets can be purchased at the Air Force Ticket Office prior to each match.
Air Force officially kicks off the 2016 campaign next weekend, when it hosts Grand Canyon, Jacksonville State and Montana State in the third-annual Falcon Classic, in Honor of Amy Svoboda. The tournament begins on Friday, Aug. 26, and continues through Saturday, Aug. 27.
