Falcons Fall to San Jose State

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Air Force volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to San Jose State this afternoon (Oct. 12) at Spartan Gym to fall to 2-4 in Mountain West action. Playing in their first three-set match in nearly a month, the Falcons fell in straight 25-17, 25-20, 25-21 sets.

Sophomore Bailey Keith paced the Falcons with eight kills on .375 hitting (8-2-16), while junior Cambria Galloway and senior Denise Ssozi each added seven. In her first start, freshman Sarah Markwardt collected three service aces, while Galloway tallied the same number of blocks. Juniors Andi Ahlers and Alex King rounded out the Falcons' list of stat leaders, as they posted match-high marks in assists (24) and digs (13).

Keith opened the match with a kill and added three more scores as Air Force tied the set at four. The Spartans scored eight of the next 10 points to double the Falcons up at the 12-6 mark, but Galloway put down a back-to-back scores to pull Air Force within four (11-15). San Jose State pushed its lead back to six (14-20), before Ssozi and freshman Taleah Cooper tallied kills on back-to-back plays to halt the run. Cooper added an additional kill, but the Spartans took the opening set by a 25-17 margin.

Ahlers tallied the first point of the second set, while an ace from Markwardt and a block from Cooper and freshman Mackenzie Kummer gave the Falcons a 4-3 lead. An errant swing by the Spartans helped Air Force tie the set at eight, but San Jose State used a 9-2 run to take the 17-10 lead. Another ace by Markwardt pulled the Falcons within three (14-17), but SJSU used another long run to retake a sizable advantage (23-15). Air Force held the Spartans at set-point during a 4-0 run that included two kills (Keith, Markwardt) and a block (Keith, Galloway), but San Jose State tallied the final point for the 25-20 win.

Once again, the Falcons struck first in the third, as a King ace helped Air Force to the first two points. A pair of scores from Ssozi gave the Falcons a 5-4 lead, but an 8-2 run by the Spartans saw Air Force fall into a 7-11 hole. A Kummer kill and a Galloway/Ssozi ace stopped the run and pulled the Falcons within two (9-11), but a 6-1 run by the Spartans pushed the Falcons' deficit to seven (9-16). San Jose State extended its advantage to 23-15, but Markwardt stopped its run with a kill and ace on back-to-back plays. Like the second, the Falcons tallied four straight points, including a pair of scores from Galloway, to hold the Spartans at match-point, but SJSU earned the final point for the 25-21 win.

Air Force returns to the Academy next week for Mountain West contests against Fresno State (Oct. 17) and San Diego State (Oct. 19) at Cadet East Gym.

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Players Mentioned

Andi Ahlers

Taleah Cooper

Cambria Galloway

Bailey Keith

Alex King

Mackenzie Kummer

Sarah Markwardt

Denise Ssozi