Saturday, October 27
Albuquerque, N.M.
1:00 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
13-12 3-8MW
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New Mexico
13-11 7-5MW
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Air Force
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25
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New Mexico
26
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Photo by: Josh Armstrong
Falcons Fall to Lobos on the Road
10/27/2018 10:29:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Denise Ssozi led all players with 16 kills, while adding 12 digs and a service ace at Johnson Gym.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Junior Denise Ssozi, senior Elizabeth Pennington and classmate Abigail Miksch combined for 44 kills, but the Air Force volleyball team dropped a tough 3-1 contest to New Mexico this afternoon (Oct 27) in Albuquerque. During their first visit to Johnson Gym in two years, the Falcons fell in 24-26, 25-18, 22-25, 17-25 sets to the host Lobos.
Backed by a match-high 16 kills on .333 hitting from Ssozi, the trio accounted for all by 14 of the team's 58 kills. Pennington added 15 on .310 hitting, while Miksch added 13. Sophomore Cambria Galloway, who also hit over .300 on the day (.364, 5k-1e-11a), classmate Kathleen Medill and senior Lauren Heldt each accounted for four blocks (all assisted for Galloway/Heldt; one solo and three assisted for Medill), while sophomore Alex King (16), Ssozi (12) and senior Shanleigh Conlan (11) all registered double-digit dig totals. Conlan (25) and sophomore Andi Ahlers (21) earned 46 of the team's 55 assists, while Conlan and Pennington each collected three service aces to help Air Force out-ace the Lobos, 7-1.
Air Force took an early 4-2 lead, behind an ace from Conlan and three combined kills from Ssozi (two) and Medill (one). The Lobos tied the score two plays later, but Pennington (5-4) and Galloway (6-5) put down kills to return the advantage to Air Force. Miksch added a kill, while Medill and Heldt teamed up for a block (8-6), but New Mexico scored the next four points to take a two-point lead (10-8). The teams traded the next 10 points, with Ssozi tallied three kills during the stretch, while back-to-back scores from Heldt evened the score at 15. New Mexico scored the next two points, but Air Force responded with the next three, including a pair of kills from Miksch to take the one-point lead (18-17). Kills by Pennington (19) and Ssozi (20) kept the scores even, but despite another pair of kills from the two, the Lobos reached set point (24-22) after a call was reversed. Another back-to-back stretch from Heldt (assisted block with Galloway, kill) tied the set at 24, but the Lobos claimed the final two points for the 26-24 victory.
A pair of kills from Galloway helped the Falcons tie the set at five early in the second set, while a block between the sophomore and Miksch gave Air Force a 6-5 advantage. Heldt and Medill accounted for kills during a 7-2 run by the Lobos that sent Air Force into a timeout trailing 12-8. Pennington posted a kill coming out of the break, while two kills and an ace from Ssozi, as well as a Heldt/Galloway block, gave the Falcons a one-point lead (16-15). A pair of kills from Miksch pushed the Falcons' lead to two (18-16), while back-to-back blocks from Medill (solo, assisted with Miksch) sparked a 7-1 run – that included a pair of aces from Conlan and kills from Pennington and Miksch – that gave Air Force the 25-18 victory.
Pennington put down the opening point of the third set and added another that broke up an early 9-1 run by the Lobos. New Mexico extended its lead to eight (11-3), before the Falcons used a 5-0 run – highlighted by three aces from Pennington – to bring Air Force within three (8-11). Galloway, Miksch and Heldt tallied kills during another 5-0 Air Force run that evened the set at 13. Miksch (15), Ssozi (17) and Pennington (18) put down set-tying kills, but the Lobos scored six of the next eight points to take a 24-20 advantage. Miksch registered a kill (21-24) and assisted with Medill on a block (22-24), but a call reversal on set point gave the Lobos the 25-22 victory.
Miksch opened the fourth set with a kill, as Air Force jumped out to a fast 4-1 lead. Pennington (5-2), Ssozi (6-3) and Galloway (7-4) put down scores to keep Air Force within three, while Miksch's second kill of the set pushed the Falcons' lead to four (8-4). New Mexico responded with the next six points (8-10), before Heldt stopped their run with a kill. Scores from Miksch and Pennington (two) brought the Falcons within one (12-13), while back-to-back kills from Ssozi kept Air Force within one (14-15). Miksch and Ssozi each registered one more kill, but New Mexico took the opening set by a 25-17 score.
Air Force returns to the Academy next week to host Colorado State (Nov. 1) and Wyoming (Nov. 3).
Backed by a match-high 16 kills on .333 hitting from Ssozi, the trio accounted for all by 14 of the team's 58 kills. Pennington added 15 on .310 hitting, while Miksch added 13. Sophomore Cambria Galloway, who also hit over .300 on the day (.364, 5k-1e-11a), classmate Kathleen Medill and senior Lauren Heldt each accounted for four blocks (all assisted for Galloway/Heldt; one solo and three assisted for Medill), while sophomore Alex King (16), Ssozi (12) and senior Shanleigh Conlan (11) all registered double-digit dig totals. Conlan (25) and sophomore Andi Ahlers (21) earned 46 of the team's 55 assists, while Conlan and Pennington each collected three service aces to help Air Force out-ace the Lobos, 7-1.
Air Force took an early 4-2 lead, behind an ace from Conlan and three combined kills from Ssozi (two) and Medill (one). The Lobos tied the score two plays later, but Pennington (5-4) and Galloway (6-5) put down kills to return the advantage to Air Force. Miksch added a kill, while Medill and Heldt teamed up for a block (8-6), but New Mexico scored the next four points to take a two-point lead (10-8). The teams traded the next 10 points, with Ssozi tallied three kills during the stretch, while back-to-back scores from Heldt evened the score at 15. New Mexico scored the next two points, but Air Force responded with the next three, including a pair of kills from Miksch to take the one-point lead (18-17). Kills by Pennington (19) and Ssozi (20) kept the scores even, but despite another pair of kills from the two, the Lobos reached set point (24-22) after a call was reversed. Another back-to-back stretch from Heldt (assisted block with Galloway, kill) tied the set at 24, but the Lobos claimed the final two points for the 26-24 victory.
A pair of kills from Galloway helped the Falcons tie the set at five early in the second set, while a block between the sophomore and Miksch gave Air Force a 6-5 advantage. Heldt and Medill accounted for kills during a 7-2 run by the Lobos that sent Air Force into a timeout trailing 12-8. Pennington posted a kill coming out of the break, while two kills and an ace from Ssozi, as well as a Heldt/Galloway block, gave the Falcons a one-point lead (16-15). A pair of kills from Miksch pushed the Falcons' lead to two (18-16), while back-to-back blocks from Medill (solo, assisted with Miksch) sparked a 7-1 run – that included a pair of aces from Conlan and kills from Pennington and Miksch – that gave Air Force the 25-18 victory.
Pennington put down the opening point of the third set and added another that broke up an early 9-1 run by the Lobos. New Mexico extended its lead to eight (11-3), before the Falcons used a 5-0 run – highlighted by three aces from Pennington – to bring Air Force within three (8-11). Galloway, Miksch and Heldt tallied kills during another 5-0 Air Force run that evened the set at 13. Miksch (15), Ssozi (17) and Pennington (18) put down set-tying kills, but the Lobos scored six of the next eight points to take a 24-20 advantage. Miksch registered a kill (21-24) and assisted with Medill on a block (22-24), but a call reversal on set point gave the Lobos the 25-22 victory.
Miksch opened the fourth set with a kill, as Air Force jumped out to a fast 4-1 lead. Pennington (5-2), Ssozi (6-3) and Galloway (7-4) put down scores to keep Air Force within three, while Miksch's second kill of the set pushed the Falcons' lead to four (8-4). New Mexico responded with the next six points (8-10), before Heldt stopped their run with a kill. Scores from Miksch and Pennington (two) brought the Falcons within one (12-13), while back-to-back kills from Ssozi kept Air Force within one (14-15). Miksch and Ssozi each registered one more kill, but New Mexico took the opening set by a 25-17 score.
Air Force returns to the Academy next week to host Colorado State (Nov. 1) and Wyoming (Nov. 3).
Team Stats
AF
NM
Kills
58
48
Errors
28
16
Attempts
139
131
Hitting %
.216
.244
Points
73.0
64.0
Assists
55
40
Aces
7
1
Blocks
8.0
15.0
Game Leaders
Kills
16
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
15
Aces
3
Blocks
0
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's VolleyballMH/MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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