Saturday, October 20
Boise, Idaho
2:00 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
13-10, 3-6MW
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Boise State
13-8, 5-5MW
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Air Force
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Boise State
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Comeback Falls Short for Falcons at Boise State
10/20/2018 6:37:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Senior Abigail Miksch registered a career-high 26 kills during the Falcons' ninth five-setter of the year.
BOISE, Idaho – Despite a career-high 26 kills from senior Abigail Miksch, the Air Force volleyball team suffered a narrow 3-2 loss to Boise State this afternoon (Oct. 20), as it wrapped up the first half of the conference season in Boise. Playing in its ninth five-set match of the season, the Falcons dropped 21-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-16, 13-15 to the host Broncos.
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Miksch added three kills to her previous career high, as she registered a match-high 26 on a team-leading .233 hitting (26k-12e-60a). Classmate Shanleigh Conlan accounted for 31 of the team's 61 assists, while adding one of the Falcons' two service aces. Sophomore Kathleen Medill, who registered the other ace, tallying a team-leading six blocks (two solo, four assisted), while classmate Alex King paced a quartet of Falcons in double-digit digs (17). Junior Denise Ssozi added 14 digs for her 12th double-double of the year (15 kills), while sophomores Andi Ahlers and Jordan Daniels each added 12. Ahlers combined her 12 digs with 19 assists for her seventh double-double of the year.
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Ssozi earned the Falcons' first offensive point, as Boise State took an early 10-3 lead that forced Air Force into an early timeout. Miksch registered a pair of kills that helped cut the Falcons' deficit to five (6-11, 7-12), while an additional kill brought Air Force within four (9-13). Freshman Rachel Budzinski (10-14) and Ahlers (11-15) kept the Falcons within four, but Boise State tallied the next three scores for a seven-point lead (18-11). Backed by 6-1 stretch by the Falcons that featured kills from Miksch (three), Ssozi and Heldt, Air Force used pulled within two at the 18-20 mark. The Broncos scored the next three points (18-23), but Miksch stopped their run with her seventh kill of the set. Ssozi added an additional kill, but Boise State took the opening set 25-21.
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Backed by five points from Miksch (four kills, one assisted block) and a solo stop from Medill, Air Force raced out to a fast 6-0 lead in the second set. The Broncos pulled within two at the 7-5 mark, but kill by Budzinski and Ssozi helped Air Force push its advantage to five (12-7). Â Miksch, Budzinski, Ssozi and Conlan put down kills, but the Broncos crept within two (18-16). An ace by Conlan pushed the Falcons' lead back to five (21-16), but Boise State once again pulled within two, using a 7-2 run to hold the Falcons at set point (24-22). Budzinski and Medill teamed up for a block that secured the Falcons' 25-22 win.
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Miksch and sophomore Mackenzie Robertson opened the third set with a block, but the Broncos responded with five of the next six points to take a 5-2 lead. Back-to-back kills from Heldt and Miksch pulled Air Force within one (4-5), while an ace from Medill and a kill from Budzinski on back-to-back plays evened the set at eight. Boise State took a two-point advantage (11-9), while scores from Heldt (10-11), Robertson (11-12), Miksch (12-13) and Ssozi (15-16) kept the Falcons within one, while another score from Ssozi gave Air Force its first lead of the set at the 17-16 mark. The Broncos scored the next three points, while Robertson (two) and Miksch (one) put down kills to retie the set at 20. Another Miksch kill tied the set at 22, but the Broncos registered the final three points for the 25-22 victory.
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Boise State scored the first two points of the fourth set, but Air Force responded with seven of the next eight that sent the Broncos to the bench with a 7-3 deficit. Miksch tallied three-straight kills during that stretch (four total), while Medill recorded a kill and another solo block. The Falcons took a seven-point lead at the 12-5 mark, following kills from Ssozi (two), Miksch (one) and Budzinski (one), while Boise State scored the next three points to pull within four (13-9). Air Force responded with the next four points, behind a pair of scores from Miksch (kill, block with Robertson) and another kill from Ssozi. Heldt teamed up with Medill and Robertson for a pair of blocks, while kills from Medill and Budzinski pushed the Falcons' lead to 21-13. With Miksch, Budzinski, Ssozi and Medill accounting for four of the final five points, the Falcons evened the match at two sets apiece with a 25-16 victory.
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The teams traded 4-0 runs during the opening eight points of the deciding points, with the Broncos recording the first four scores and Air Force responding with the next four behind kills from Miksch (two) and Medill (one). After Boise State took a one-point advantage (6-5), Budzinski backed another 4-0 run by the Falcons, as she tallied a kill and assisted on a block with Medill that sent the Broncos into their second timeout trailing 9-6. Boise State registered its second 4-0 run of the set before Medill put down a kill to end the scoring run and tie the set at 10. A pair of strikes by Ssozi gave Air Force a pair of one-point leads (12-11, 13-12), but the Broncos strung together the final three points for the 15-13 victory.
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Air Force remains on the road next week, as it opens the second half of the Mountain West season at UNLV (Thursday, Oct. 25) and New Mexico (Saturday, Oct. 27).
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Miksch added three kills to her previous career high, as she registered a match-high 26 on a team-leading .233 hitting (26k-12e-60a). Classmate Shanleigh Conlan accounted for 31 of the team's 61 assists, while adding one of the Falcons' two service aces. Sophomore Kathleen Medill, who registered the other ace, tallying a team-leading six blocks (two solo, four assisted), while classmate Alex King paced a quartet of Falcons in double-digit digs (17). Junior Denise Ssozi added 14 digs for her 12th double-double of the year (15 kills), while sophomores Andi Ahlers and Jordan Daniels each added 12. Ahlers combined her 12 digs with 19 assists for her seventh double-double of the year.
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Ssozi earned the Falcons' first offensive point, as Boise State took an early 10-3 lead that forced Air Force into an early timeout. Miksch registered a pair of kills that helped cut the Falcons' deficit to five (6-11, 7-12), while an additional kill brought Air Force within four (9-13). Freshman Rachel Budzinski (10-14) and Ahlers (11-15) kept the Falcons within four, but Boise State tallied the next three scores for a seven-point lead (18-11). Backed by 6-1 stretch by the Falcons that featured kills from Miksch (three), Ssozi and Heldt, Air Force used pulled within two at the 18-20 mark. The Broncos scored the next three points (18-23), but Miksch stopped their run with her seventh kill of the set. Ssozi added an additional kill, but Boise State took the opening set 25-21.
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Backed by five points from Miksch (four kills, one assisted block) and a solo stop from Medill, Air Force raced out to a fast 6-0 lead in the second set. The Broncos pulled within two at the 7-5 mark, but kill by Budzinski and Ssozi helped Air Force push its advantage to five (12-7). Â Miksch, Budzinski, Ssozi and Conlan put down kills, but the Broncos crept within two (18-16). An ace by Conlan pushed the Falcons' lead back to five (21-16), but Boise State once again pulled within two, using a 7-2 run to hold the Falcons at set point (24-22). Budzinski and Medill teamed up for a block that secured the Falcons' 25-22 win.
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Miksch and sophomore Mackenzie Robertson opened the third set with a block, but the Broncos responded with five of the next six points to take a 5-2 lead. Back-to-back kills from Heldt and Miksch pulled Air Force within one (4-5), while an ace from Medill and a kill from Budzinski on back-to-back plays evened the set at eight. Boise State took a two-point advantage (11-9), while scores from Heldt (10-11), Robertson (11-12), Miksch (12-13) and Ssozi (15-16) kept the Falcons within one, while another score from Ssozi gave Air Force its first lead of the set at the 17-16 mark. The Broncos scored the next three points, while Robertson (two) and Miksch (one) put down kills to retie the set at 20. Another Miksch kill tied the set at 22, but the Broncos registered the final three points for the 25-22 victory.
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Boise State scored the first two points of the fourth set, but Air Force responded with seven of the next eight that sent the Broncos to the bench with a 7-3 deficit. Miksch tallied three-straight kills during that stretch (four total), while Medill recorded a kill and another solo block. The Falcons took a seven-point lead at the 12-5 mark, following kills from Ssozi (two), Miksch (one) and Budzinski (one), while Boise State scored the next three points to pull within four (13-9). Air Force responded with the next four points, behind a pair of scores from Miksch (kill, block with Robertson) and another kill from Ssozi. Heldt teamed up with Medill and Robertson for a pair of blocks, while kills from Medill and Budzinski pushed the Falcons' lead to 21-13. With Miksch, Budzinski, Ssozi and Medill accounting for four of the final five points, the Falcons evened the match at two sets apiece with a 25-16 victory.
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The teams traded 4-0 runs during the opening eight points of the deciding points, with the Broncos recording the first four scores and Air Force responding with the next four behind kills from Miksch (two) and Medill (one). After Boise State took a one-point advantage (6-5), Budzinski backed another 4-0 run by the Falcons, as she tallied a kill and assisted on a block with Medill that sent the Broncos into their second timeout trailing 9-6. Boise State registered its second 4-0 run of the set before Medill put down a kill to end the scoring run and tie the set at 10. A pair of strikes by Ssozi gave Air Force a pair of one-point leads (12-11, 13-12), but the Broncos strung together the final three points for the 15-13 victory.
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Air Force remains on the road next week, as it opens the second half of the Mountain West season at UNLV (Thursday, Oct. 25) and New Mexico (Saturday, Oct. 27).
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Team Stats
AF
BSU
Kills
67
53
Errors
31
27
Attempts
191
163
Hitting %
.188
.160
Points
79.0
69.0
Assists
61
50
Aces
2
5
Blocks
10.0
11.0
Game Leaders
Kills
26
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
6
Aces
1
Blocks
6
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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