Air Force Sweeps Utah State in Home Finale

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team claimed a dominating 3-0 victory over Utah State this afternoon (Nov. 17), as it closed out the home portion of the 2018 campaign at Cadet East Gym. The Falcons improved to 16-15 on the season after easily sweeping the Aggies in 25-13, 25-12, 25-17 sets.

Air Force controlled the team statistics from the start – easily out-scoring its visitors in kills (41/19), hitting (.239/-.022), assists (39/19), aces (9/0), digs (43/29) and blocks (8/6). Sophomore Kathleen Medill led all players on both sides of the net in hitting (.545, 6k-0e-11a) and blocks (five), while classmate Andi Ahlers posted a match-high 18 assists and was one of three Falcons to register a match-best eight digs (senior Sarah Hellman, junior Denise Ssozi). In addition to tying for the match lead in digs, Ssozi also posted match-best marks in kills (nine) and aces (four).

Seniors Lauren Heldt and Abigail Miksch, playing their final home contest at the Academy, teamed up for a block to open the match, while Heldt and classmate Elizabeth Pennington each tallied a kill and assisted on a block to give the Falcons an early 5-1 lead. Another kill by Pennington, as well as scores from Medill (kill) and Ahlers (ace), helped Air Force push its advantage to 11-2. Ssozi and senior Shanleigh Conlan added aces during the set, while Pennington, Miksch (two) and Heldt put down kills to give Air Force the 20-9 lead. Ssozi added two more kills as the Falcons took the opening set by a 25-13 score.

Two Pennington kills, a Ssozi/Medill block another Ahlers ace highlighted an early 6-1 run for the Falcons in the second set, while multiple kills from Medill (two), Miksch (two) and freshman Bailey Keith (two) pushed the Falcons' advantage out to nine (14-9) as the Aggies used their second timeout of the set. Heldt and Ssozi each registered a pair of scores, while Ahlers' third ace of the day saw Air Force double-up Utah State at 18-9. A pair of kills from Keith, as well as a kill and ace from Ssozi, highlighted a 5-0 run by Air Force that ended with the advantage at 23-9. Medill added one more kill as Air Force took the set 25-12.

Utah State took the early 3-1 lead in the third and kept a two-point lead at the 5-3 mark, but Medill tallied back-to-back blocks (one solo, one with Pennington) and Ssozi registered a pair of points (kill, ace) during a 4-0 run that gave Air Force the two-point advantage (7-5). A pair of kills from Keith, as well as a score by Conlan, pushed the Falcons' lead to four (11-7), while Ssozi contributed to Air Force's next four points (three kills, assisted block with Heldt) as the Falcons stretched their lead to eight (18-10). Pennington added two kills and an ace, while scores from Medill (two kills), Ssozi (ace) and sophomore Mackenzie Robertson (kill) gave Air Force the 25-17 victory and its first MW sweep since the opener in September.

Air Force closes out the season at Fresno State on Monday (Nov. 19) night.

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Team Stats

Denise Ssozi

Elizabeth Pennington

Abigail Miksch

Kathleen Medill

Players Mentioned

Shanleigh Conlan

Lauren Heldt

Sarah Hellman

Kathleen Medill

Abigail Miksch

Elizabeth Pennington

Players Mentioned

Shanleigh Conlan

Lauren Heldt

Sarah Hellman

Kathleen Medill

Abigail Miksch

Elizabeth Pennington

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