Falcons Rebound with 3-1 Victory over Cal Baptist

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – Backed by 20 kills from senior Abigail Miksch, the Air Force volleyball team captured a 3-1 victory over Cal Baptist in the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader at the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic. After dropping the opening set by a 25-17 margin, the Falcons responded with straight 25-22, 25-20, 25-20 victories over the visiting Lancers.

Miksch tallied a season-high 20 kills on .319 hitting (20-5-47), while classmate Elizabeth Pennington (16) and junior Denise Ssozi (15) also posted double-digit kill totals during .230-plus hitting performances. Senior Sarah Hellman collected a match-high 19 digs and Ssozi added 13 for her seventh double-double of the year, while senior Shanleigh Conlan posted 31 assists. Sophomores Cambria Galloway and Kathleen Medill rounded out the Falcons' list of stat leaders, as the pair led all players in blocks (five) and service aces (three), respectively.

A pair of kills from Pennington helped Air Force even the opening set at four, while Galloway contributed on back-to-back blocks and Miksch recorded a pair of kills to give Air Force an 8-6 lead. Senior Lauren Heldt (9-7), Miksch (10-8) and Pennington (11-9) continued to keep the Falcons ahead by two, but the Lancers scored nine of the next 11 points to take an 18-13 lead. Ssozi and Pennington added kills, but Cal Baptist took the opening set by a 25-17 margin.

Cal Baptist took the early 5-2 lead, but kills from Pennington and Ssozi bookended a Medill service ace, as Ari Force evened the set at five. Sophomore Andi Ahlers added an ace that gave the Falcons a 7-6 advantage, before the two squads traded the next six points. Miksch and Ssozi put together a pair of kills to break up the back-and-forth action, before Air Force tallied six straight points to open up an 18-11 advantage. Medill collected a kill and posted another ace during the run, while Galloway teamed up with Pennington and Ssozi for a pair of blocks. The Lancers pulled within three (20-17), before Miksch stopped their run with a kill. Heldt, Pennington and Ssozi added scores, as Air Force took the 25-22 victory

Miksch put down the opening point of the third set, but Cal Baptist took an early 6-3 lead. An Ahlers ace and a Pennington kill evened the set at six, while kills from Heldt and Miksch matched scores again at nine. Back-to-back scores from Miksch and Pennington gave the Falcons the lead (12-11), while three kills from Ssozi helped push their advantage to five (21-16). Pennington added a kill and teamed up with Medill for a block to secure the Falcons' 25-20 victory.

Cal Baptist took an early 3-1 lead, before Ssozi (kill) and Medill (ace) helped the Falcons take a 4-3 lead. The Lancers scored the next three points, while Ssozi and Miksch put down kills that tied the set at six. An 8-2 stretch by the Falcons, which included four Miksch kills and an ace from sophomore Jordan Daniels, gave the Falcons a 15-9 advantage, while a pair of Pennington kills and an ace from freshman Lily Landis kept the Falcons up six (19-13). Cal Baptist cut Air Force's lead to two (20-18), but Miksch and Galloway teamed up for a block to stop the run and another Miksch kill – her 20th of the night – gave the Falcons a 25-20 victory.

Air Force closes out the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic tomorrow (Sept. 7) afternoon, when they host Presbyterian at 12:30 p.m. (MT).

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