Thursday, October 18
Logan, Utah
7:00 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
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at
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Utah State
Photo by: Josh Armstrong
Falcons Fall to Utah State
10/18/2018 10:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Abigail Miksch, Denise Ssozi and Lauren Heldt combined for 41 of the team's 55 kills.
LOGAN, Utah – The Air Force volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to Utah State this evening (Oct. 18), as it kicked off a four-match road swing in Logan. After winning the opening set by a 26-24 margin, the Falcons fell in straight 25-19, 25-23, 25-22 sets.
Senior Abigail Miksch tallied a match-high 16 kills, as she junior Denise Ssozi (15) and senior Lauren Heldt (10) combined for 41 of the team's 55 kills. Senior Shanleigh Conlan tallied a team-high 24 assists, while sophomore Andi Ahlers added 21 and collected a pair of service aces. Classmate Kathleen Medill tied with Ahlers for the team lead in aces (two) and equaled Heldt for the team high in blocks (three), while fellow sophomore Alex King (16) was one of two Falcons to tally a double-digit total in digs (15).
Utah State jumped out to a fast 6-2 lead, before a pair of kills from Ssozi and a service ace from Ahlers helped the Falcons even the set at eight. In her first start of the season, freshman Keith collected a solo block and a kill as Air Force evened the set at 12. Another score from Ssozi tied the set at 14, while a kill from Heldt on the ensuing play gave Air Force its first lead of the match (15-14). Heldt (16-15), Keith (17-16), Galloway (18-17) and Miksch (19-18) put down kills to give the Falcons the lead during a back-and-forth exchange, but the Aggies scored three-straight points to take a 21-19 advantage. The Falcons responded with the next five of the next six points – kills from Heldt (two) and Ssozi (one), aces from Miksch and Medill – to take the 24-22 lead. Utah State evened the set at 24, but Ssozi put down the final two kills to give Air Force the 26-24 win.
Miksch registered the first two points of the second set, as she teamed up with sophomore Cambria Galloway for a block and added a kill. The Aggies scored six of the next seven points (3-6), but kills from Heldt and Medill helped Air Force even the set at six. A kill from Ssozi broke up another 6-1 run by Utah State, as the Falcons called a timeout at the 7-12 mark. Kills from Heldt (one) and Ssozi (two) brought the Falcons within one (11-12), but the Aggies scored 11 of the next 14 points to take a 23-14 advantage. Air Force tallied the next five points, as Heldt/Medill blocks book-ended a run that including a pair of kills from Ssozi, but Utah State earned the final two scores for the 25-19 victory that evened the match at one set apiece.
Galloway put down an early kill, but Utah State jumped out to a fast 7-3 lead to start the third set. Keith, Heldt and Galloway also recorded scores, but the Aggies took a 13-7 lead into an Air Force timeout. Galloway and Ssozi teamed up for block right out of the break, while Miksch (one), Medill (two) and Ssozi (one) put down kills that helped bring the Falcons within one (16-17). After Heldt and Ssozi registered back-to-back scores that evened the set at 18, three kills from Miksch (20-21, 21-22, 22-23) and one from Medill (23-24) kept Air Force within one, but Utah State earned the final point for the 25-23 win.
The Aggies opened the fourth set on a 5-1 run, but Miksch posted a pair of kills during a 4-0 stretch by the Falcons that tied the set at five. A kill from Miksch stopped another four-point run by the Aggies, while kills from Conlan and Ssozi, as well as another ace from Medill, helped Air Force even the set at 13 and take the lead on the ensuing point (14-13). A kill from Keith broke up a 4-0 run by the Aggies, while another Heldt/Medill block helped tie the set at 18 and a score from Miksch gave Air Force the 19-18 lead. The Falcons tied the score at 20 off of another Miksch kill, but the Aggies recorded five of the final seven points for the 25-22 victory.
Air Force remains on the road this Saturday (Oct. 20), when it takes on Boise State at 2:00 p.m. (MT).
Senior Abigail Miksch tallied a match-high 16 kills, as she junior Denise Ssozi (15) and senior Lauren Heldt (10) combined for 41 of the team's 55 kills. Senior Shanleigh Conlan tallied a team-high 24 assists, while sophomore Andi Ahlers added 21 and collected a pair of service aces. Classmate Kathleen Medill tied with Ahlers for the team lead in aces (two) and equaled Heldt for the team high in blocks (three), while fellow sophomore Alex King (16) was one of two Falcons to tally a double-digit total in digs (15).
Utah State jumped out to a fast 6-2 lead, before a pair of kills from Ssozi and a service ace from Ahlers helped the Falcons even the set at eight. In her first start of the season, freshman Keith collected a solo block and a kill as Air Force evened the set at 12. Another score from Ssozi tied the set at 14, while a kill from Heldt on the ensuing play gave Air Force its first lead of the match (15-14). Heldt (16-15), Keith (17-16), Galloway (18-17) and Miksch (19-18) put down kills to give the Falcons the lead during a back-and-forth exchange, but the Aggies scored three-straight points to take a 21-19 advantage. The Falcons responded with the next five of the next six points – kills from Heldt (two) and Ssozi (one), aces from Miksch and Medill – to take the 24-22 lead. Utah State evened the set at 24, but Ssozi put down the final two kills to give Air Force the 26-24 win.
Miksch registered the first two points of the second set, as she teamed up with sophomore Cambria Galloway for a block and added a kill. The Aggies scored six of the next seven points (3-6), but kills from Heldt and Medill helped Air Force even the set at six. A kill from Ssozi broke up another 6-1 run by Utah State, as the Falcons called a timeout at the 7-12 mark. Kills from Heldt (one) and Ssozi (two) brought the Falcons within one (11-12), but the Aggies scored 11 of the next 14 points to take a 23-14 advantage. Air Force tallied the next five points, as Heldt/Medill blocks book-ended a run that including a pair of kills from Ssozi, but Utah State earned the final two scores for the 25-19 victory that evened the match at one set apiece.
Galloway put down an early kill, but Utah State jumped out to a fast 7-3 lead to start the third set. Keith, Heldt and Galloway also recorded scores, but the Aggies took a 13-7 lead into an Air Force timeout. Galloway and Ssozi teamed up for block right out of the break, while Miksch (one), Medill (two) and Ssozi (one) put down kills that helped bring the Falcons within one (16-17). After Heldt and Ssozi registered back-to-back scores that evened the set at 18, three kills from Miksch (20-21, 21-22, 22-23) and one from Medill (23-24) kept Air Force within one, but Utah State earned the final point for the 25-23 win.
The Aggies opened the fourth set on a 5-1 run, but Miksch posted a pair of kills during a 4-0 stretch by the Falcons that tied the set at five. A kill from Miksch stopped another four-point run by the Aggies, while kills from Conlan and Ssozi, as well as another ace from Medill, helped Air Force even the set at 13 and take the lead on the ensuing point (14-13). A kill from Keith broke up a 4-0 run by the Aggies, while another Heldt/Medill block helped tie the set at 18 and a score from Miksch gave Air Force the 19-18 lead. The Falcons tied the score at 20 off of another Miksch kill, but the Aggies recorded five of the final seven points for the 25-22 victory.
Air Force remains on the road this Saturday (Oct. 20), when it takes on Boise State at 2:00 p.m. (MT).
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
MH/MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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