Saturday, September 15
USAFA
1:00 p.m.
Air Force Academy
10-4
2
vs
3
Navy
1
2
3
4
5
F
Navy
21
21
25
25
15
3
Air Force
25
25
19
22
7
2
Photo by: Darcie Ibidapo
Falcons Unable to Hold Off Navy
9/15/2018 8:32:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team closed out the non-conference portion of its 2018 season with a 3-2 loss to service academy rival Navy on Saturday, Sept. 15. The Falcons took the first two sets by matching 25-21 scores, but the Midshipmen captured the final three sets (25-19, 25-22, 15-7) for their third victory in the all-time series (Air Force leads 12-3).
Four Falcons registered double-digit kills in the match, as Air Force out-killed Navy by a 65-57 margin. Senior Elizabeth Pennington led all players with 17 kills, while junior Denise Ssozi added 14 and the senior duo of Lauren Heldt and Abigail Miksch tallied 11 apiece. In addition to their offensive production, Ssozi contributed 11 digs, while Miksch led the team in blocks with two (one solo, one assisted). Fellow senior Shanleigh Conlan led the team in assists (29) and digs (19), while classmate Sarah Hellman tallied two of the team's four service aces and chipped in 13 digs.
Ssozi posted a kill for the first point of the day, while scores from Pennington and sophomore Kathleen Medill helped the Falcons even the set at five. The two teams traded the next four points, before Air Force earned a two-point advantage after Hellman's first ace. Miksch put down a kill and teamed up with Medill for an ace, but Navy tied the set at 12. Another back-and-forth series followed, before Heldt accounted for four of the Falcons' next six points to give Air Force a five-point lead (21-16). Medill added a pair of kills, while a score from Ssozi gave the Falcons a 25-21 victory.
Like the first set, the Falcons' lone junior opened the second set with a kill – and added another as Air Force took another 4-2 lead. Heldt and Miksch added kills, while a score by Pennington broke a nine-all tie. Kills by Heldt (two) and sophomore Cambria Galloway (one), as well as another ace by Hellman gave Air Force a three-point lead (15-12), but the Mids responded to tie the set at 16. Back-to-back kills from Pennington highlighted a four-point run by the Falcons (20-16), while the senior added another score to halt a short Navy run that brought the opponent within two (21-19). Galloway (kill) and classmate Andi Ahlers (ace) registered the Falcons' final two points, as Air Force earned another 25-21 win.
The Mids jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead in the third, but a kill by Ssozi helped Air Force tie the set at five. Navy took another three-point advantage at 9-5, before back-to-back kills from Miksch and a score from Ahlers saw the Falcons equalize the set at nine. Air Force matched scores at 10 (Navy error) and 11 (Miksch kill), before the Mids took another three-point lead (14-11). Medill, Pennington, Heldt and Ssozi registered scores, but Navy responded with an 8-1 run to win the set by a 25-19 victory.
Medill, Ssozi and Pennington gave Air Force a 3-1 start to the fourth, but Navy tied the set at four. The Falcons retook the lead following a pair of Navy errors (6-4), but the visitors scored the next seven points to take an 11-6 advantage. Conlan served up an ace that brought the Falcons within two (10-12), but Navy retook a five-point lead at 16-11. Kills from Pennington (two), Heldt (two) and Medill (one) brought the Falcons within one (18-19) and a Navy attacking error tied the set at 21, but the Mids scored four of the final five points to even the match with a 25-22 win.
The Falcons earned the first point of the deciding set and the teams traded the next few points, before Navy earned the next four points to take a four-point lead (8-4) at the switch. Ssozi stopped the run with a kill, but the Mids extended their lead to six (12-6) and, despite kills from Miksch and Medill, earned the comeback victory with a 15-7 set win.
Air Force finished the non-conference season with a 10-4 record. The Falcons' 10 wins are the most since 2003 (10) – and the second most in Division I history (12 in 1999). Air Force remains at the Academy next weekend, when they open Mountain West play against San Diego State on Sunday, Sept. 23.
Four Falcons registered double-digit kills in the match, as Air Force out-killed Navy by a 65-57 margin. Senior Elizabeth Pennington led all players with 17 kills, while junior Denise Ssozi added 14 and the senior duo of Lauren Heldt and Abigail Miksch tallied 11 apiece. In addition to their offensive production, Ssozi contributed 11 digs, while Miksch led the team in blocks with two (one solo, one assisted). Fellow senior Shanleigh Conlan led the team in assists (29) and digs (19), while classmate Sarah Hellman tallied two of the team's four service aces and chipped in 13 digs.
Ssozi posted a kill for the first point of the day, while scores from Pennington and sophomore Kathleen Medill helped the Falcons even the set at five. The two teams traded the next four points, before Air Force earned a two-point advantage after Hellman's first ace. Miksch put down a kill and teamed up with Medill for an ace, but Navy tied the set at 12. Another back-and-forth series followed, before Heldt accounted for four of the Falcons' next six points to give Air Force a five-point lead (21-16). Medill added a pair of kills, while a score from Ssozi gave the Falcons a 25-21 victory.
Like the first set, the Falcons' lone junior opened the second set with a kill – and added another as Air Force took another 4-2 lead. Heldt and Miksch added kills, while a score by Pennington broke a nine-all tie. Kills by Heldt (two) and sophomore Cambria Galloway (one), as well as another ace by Hellman gave Air Force a three-point lead (15-12), but the Mids responded to tie the set at 16. Back-to-back kills from Pennington highlighted a four-point run by the Falcons (20-16), while the senior added another score to halt a short Navy run that brought the opponent within two (21-19). Galloway (kill) and classmate Andi Ahlers (ace) registered the Falcons' final two points, as Air Force earned another 25-21 win.
The Mids jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead in the third, but a kill by Ssozi helped Air Force tie the set at five. Navy took another three-point advantage at 9-5, before back-to-back kills from Miksch and a score from Ahlers saw the Falcons equalize the set at nine. Air Force matched scores at 10 (Navy error) and 11 (Miksch kill), before the Mids took another three-point lead (14-11). Medill, Pennington, Heldt and Ssozi registered scores, but Navy responded with an 8-1 run to win the set by a 25-19 victory.
Medill, Ssozi and Pennington gave Air Force a 3-1 start to the fourth, but Navy tied the set at four. The Falcons retook the lead following a pair of Navy errors (6-4), but the visitors scored the next seven points to take an 11-6 advantage. Conlan served up an ace that brought the Falcons within two (10-12), but Navy retook a five-point lead at 16-11. Kills from Pennington (two), Heldt (two) and Medill (one) brought the Falcons within one (18-19) and a Navy attacking error tied the set at 21, but the Mids scored four of the final five points to even the match with a 25-22 win.
The Falcons earned the first point of the deciding set and the teams traded the next few points, before Navy earned the next four points to take a four-point lead (8-4) at the switch. Ssozi stopped the run with a kill, but the Mids extended their lead to six (12-6) and, despite kills from Miksch and Medill, earned the comeback victory with a 15-7 set win.
Air Force finished the non-conference season with a 10-4 record. The Falcons' 10 wins are the most since 2003 (10) – and the second most in Division I history (12 in 1999). Air Force remains at the Academy next weekend, when they open Mountain West play against San Diego State on Sunday, Sept. 23.
Team Stats
NAVY
AF
Kills
57
65
Errors
13
29
Attempts
150
170
Hitting %
.293
.212
Points
71.0
71.0
Assists
47
61
Aces
3
4
Blocks
11.0
2.0
Game Leaders
Kills
17
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's VolleyballMH/MB
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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