Air Force Drops 3-2 Heartbreaker to UNC Greensboro

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team opened the season with a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to UNC Greensboro during the first match of the Spartan-Demon Deacon Classic in Greensboro, N.C., on Friday, Aug. 24. The Falcons won the opening sets 25-16, 25-19, but were unable to hold off the comeback by the tournament co-host, as UNCG won the final three sets 25-21, 25-23, 15-12.

Junior Denise Ssozi and senior Elizabeth Pennington combined for half of the Falcons' 50 kills and 30 of the team's 76 digs. Ssozi led the team with 13 kills and 17 digs, while Pennington added 12 kills and 13 digs. Senior Sarah Hellman, who also posted a double-digit dig total (12), tallied a match-leading five service aces – a tally that totaled the combined number of UNCG aces. Sophomore Andi Ahlers collected 21 assists, while classmate Kathleen Medill rounded out the Falcons' list of stat leaders with seven blocks (all assisted).

Senior Abigail Miksch accounted for the Falcons' first point of the season, as she put down a kill to tie the score at one. Ssozi registered a pair of kills and Hellman added an ace, as Air Force took an early 7-4 lead. Fellow senior Lauren Heldt registered back-to-back kills, as the Falcons took a four-point advantage (9-5). The Spartans cut Air Force's lead to 11-9, but Air Force responded with nine of the next 10 points to jump out to a 20-10 lead. Hellman rolled off three-straight aces during that run, while Ssozi and sophomore Cambria Galloway tallied kills and teamed up for a block. Heldt added one final kill, as the Falcons won the opening set by a 25-16 margin.

The two squads traded the opening points of the second set, as serving and attacking errors by UNCG kept the score close. Ssozi, Miksch and Pennington put down kills to give the Falcons an 11-10 lead, before a kill from Medill sparked a 7-0 Air Force run that included kills from Ssozi and Heldt, as well as a Heldt/Medill block (18-10). The Spartans made a comeback after their second timeout, but the Falcons held on for the 25-19 victory.

UNCG took a quick 3-1 lead, before Ssozi put down three-straight points (two kills, block with Medill) to give Air Force a one-point advantage (4-3). Another Ssozi kill evened the score at five, while a kill from freshman Bailey Keith and three scores from Pennington helped the Falcons push their advantage to four (13-9). Miksch (two) and Ssozi (one) added kills, but UNCG tied the set at 17 and took the set 25-21.

Hellman started the fourth set with another ace, and Miksch, Medill and Pennington put down kills, but the Spartans quickly doubled the Falcons up by a 12-6 margin. Miksch and Heldt added scores, but UNCG forced the Falcons into their second timeout down 8-16. Miksch (kill) and Pennington (ace) stopped the Spartans' run, while Ssozi (two kills, block with Medill), Heldt (kill), Pennington (kill) and Ahlers (ace) brought the Falcons within four (17-21) to send UNCG into a timeout. Medill and Pennington assisted on back-to-back blocks to cut the Spartans' lead to two (19-21) and the Falcons held UNCG at set-point for four-straight points, as Pennington put down a pair of kills and sophomore Jordan Daniels earned an ace, but the Spartans earned the final point for the 25-23 victory to even the match at two sets.

Kills from Ssozi, Pennington and Heldt helped Air Force take a 4-2 lead to start the second set, while a kill and block from Galloway (assisted by Miksch) pushed the Falcons' advantage to three (7-4). The two teams switched sides with Air Force leading 8-6, but the Spartans scored six of the next eight points before Medill and Miksch stopped the run with a block. Heldt added one more kill, but UNCG took the set 15-12.

Air Force returns to action tomorrow (Aug. 25), when they conclude the Spartan-Demon Deacon Classic with a pair of matches in Winston-Salem. The Falcons will face tournament co-host Wake Forest at 11:00 a.m. (ET), before facing Maryland at 5:00 p.m. (ET).

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