Falcons Travel West for Fullerton Classic
9/6/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 6, 2016
FalconVision Interview with Coach Swindle
The Air Force volleyball team returns to action this Thursday (Sept. 8), when it travels to Fullerton, Calif., for the Quality Inn-Placentia Fullerton Classic. During the three-day tournament at Titan Gymnasium, the Falcons will face Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 8), Colgate and Weber State (Sept. 9), and The Citadel (Sept. 10).
Match Notes 03: at Quality Inn-Placentia Fullerton Classic 
FOLLOW ALONG FROM HOME
Live stats will be provided for all matches at FullertonTitans.com. A live broadcast of the Falcons' match with Cal State Fullerton will also be provided through that site.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
The Falcons' four opponents enter the third week of the season with a 12-10 combined record. Cal State Fullerton is 3-4 overall after finishing the Grand Canyon Classic with a 1-2 mark. The Titans lost to Eastern Washington (0-3) and Eastern Kentucky (1-3), before defeating host Grand Canyon (3-1) in the final match. Colgate is 2-3 overall, following a 1-2 weekend at the Cornell Invitational. The Red Raiders lost to Cornell (1-3) and James Madison (0-3), while defeating Marist in straight sets. The Citadel split four matches at the Battle in the `Boro last week to improve to 4-3 on the year. The Bulldogs defeated Savannah State (3-0) and Charleston Southern (3-2), while falling to Jacksonville State (0-3) and Georgia Southern (2-3). Weber State, which hasn't competed since the opening weekend, is 3-0 on the season after collecting victories over Houston Baptist (3-0), Houston (3-1) and Louisiana (3-1) at the HBU Invitational in late August.
SERIES HISTORY
This weekend will mark Air Force's first meetings with Cal State Fullerton and Colgate. The Falcons are 2-0 all-time against The Citadel, having last defeated the Bulldogs at the Pentagon in 2012. The all-time series between Air Force and Weber State is tied at three, with the Falcons' earning the last victory -- a 3-2 decision over the Wildcats at the Academy in 2015.
STARTING OFF STRONG
With a 5-1 record during its first six matches of the 2016 season, Air Force is off to its best start in Division I history -- matching the 5-1 record that the 1999 squad also produced. In fact, the Falcons' five wins in six matches marks just the fifth time in DI history that the squad has been .500 or better six matches into the season.
TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS!
Air Force won the Sawyer Camillo Memorial Classic team title after posting a perfect 3-0 record, with victories over Nicholls State (3-1), Louisiana (3-2) and Alabama A&M (3-1). It is the Falcons' first tournament title since winning the Air Force Invitational in 2014 -- and just the second in the last decade.
PENNINGTON NAMED MVP, MIKSCH EARNS ALL-TOURNAMENT SELECTION
Elizabeth Pennington was selected as the MVP of the Sawyer Camillo Classic on Sept. 3, while Abigail Miksch joined her on the all-tournament team. It is the second straight week that the pair has earned all-tournament team status.
REACHING A MILESTONE
Sarah Hellman recorded the 1000th assist of her career against Alabama A&M on Sept. 3, becoming Air Force's eighth Division I player to reach the 1K milestone.
WHAT'S ON DECK
After two weekends on the road, the Falcons return to the Academy to host Northern Colorado (Sept. 15), Georgetown (Sept. 16) and Southern Utah (Sept. 17) at Clune Arena.
