Falcons Take Down Bulldogs in Academy Return

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – Backed by an impressive attacking performance from sophomore Bailey Keith, the Air Force volleyball team captured a 3-1 victory over Fresno State this evening (Oct. 17) at the Academy, to improve to 3-4 in Mountain West action (6-13 overall). With the team hitting at a season-high .291 clip, the Falcons downed the visiting Bulldogs in 25-18, 21-25, 25-16, 25-17 sets.

Keith, who equaled her career high with 18 kills, hit at a team-leading clip of .485 after committing just two errors on 33 swings. The sophomore was one of four Air Force attackers to hit over .250 in the match, as the Falcons outhit the Bulldogs by 192 points. Classmate Vittoria Juarez (.308, 5-1-13) and senior Denise Ssozi (.304, 10-3-23) both hit over 300 on the night, while junior Cambria Galloway added 11 kills on .250 hitting (11-6-20).

Freshman Sarah Markwardt and junior Kelly Motes each registered a pair of service aces on the night, while the Falcons earned multiple blocking points from freshman Taleah Cooper, who collected two solo blocks and assisted on three additional stops. Junior Andi Ahlers, who also recorded multiple blocks on the night (two assisted), registered the ninth double-double of the season following team-leading totals in assists (39) and digs (15).

With 10 kills and 13 digs, Ssozi equaled the program's Division I record for career double-doubles (29).

Fresno State struck first in the match, but consecutive kills from Keith, Galloway and Juarez put Air Force on the board with an early 3-2 lead. Following a Cooper/Juarez block that kept the Falcons ahead at the 5-4 mark, the Bulldogs rattled off five-straight points to take a 9-5 advantage. Air Force responded with the next eight points, benefitting five erroneous Fresno State attacks and putting up three-straight blocks from (assisted stop by Ahlers/Cooper, solo stop by Cooper, solo stop by Markwardt) during a run that ended with Air Force holding a 13-9 lead. Markwardt tallied the Falcons' next two points behind a kill and ace, while back-to-back kills from Ssozi and a strike from Ahlers put the Falcons up 19-12. Combining for three kills and teaming up for a block, Keith and Galloway contributed to four of the Falcons' next five points, while a strike from Cooper gave Air Force the opening 25-18 win.

Galloway and Keith continued to produce in the second set, combining for five of the Falcons' first six points. Fresno State used a quick three-point run to take an 8-7 lead, but Cooper (kill) and Markwardt (ace) helped Air Force retake the advantage at 10-8. An ace from Ahlers gave the Falcons a three-point lead (13-10), but the Bulldogs tallied the next four points to retake the lead (14-13). Kills from Keith (14, 15), Cooper (16) and Ahlers (17) continued to tie the set, while Air Force retook the lead at 18-17 off of a strike from Ssozi. The Falcons' lone senior added one more kill, but Fresno State closed the set on a 6-2 run for the match-tying 25-21 victory.

Keith came out firing in the third, tallying four of the Falcons' first six points, as Air Force doubled up the Bulldogs at the 6-3 mark. Kills from Juarez and Ssozi pushed Air Force's advantage to five (9-4), but Fresno State pulled within one at the 10-9 mark. Galloway (kill) and Ssozi (solo block) returned the Falcons' lead to four (13-9), but, again, the Bulldogs responded to pull within one (13-12). Air Force took a three-point lead at the 16-13 mark following Back-to-back kills from Keith and a score from Galloway. Holding a slim 17-15 advantage, the Falcons scored the next seven points, during a run that included two service aces from Motes, a pair of kills from Ssozi and an Ahler/Cooper block. Cooper, who started the run with a kill at the 18-15 mark, accounted for the final point of the Falcons' 25-16 win.

Ssozi and Galloway helped Air Force to the first three points of the fourth set, while the same run by the Bulldogs tied the set at three. Kills from Keith and Juarez gave the lead back to Air Force at 5-3, while another strike from Keith and Cooper's second solo block of the night helped Air Force to double figures and a 10-7 advantage. Ssozi put down a pair of kill that helped Air Force push its led to five (15-10) and the Falcons were able to hold off a short run by the Bulldogs that cut the lead to two (15-13). Juarez battled a ball that rattled around the rafters to end Fresno State's run, while another score from Keith helped Air Force regain the five-point lead (19-14). Juarez, Cooper, Ahlers, Galloway and Keith all scored in the final minutes of the set, as Air Force secured the match with a 25-17 victory.

The win marked the Falcons' fifth-straight win over the Bulldogs – the longest winning streak against any team in the Mountain West – and improved Air Force to 8-9 in the all-time series.

Air Force remains at the Academy on Saturday (Oct. 19), when it hosts San Diego State at 1:00 p.m. (MT).

Next Event

Team Stats

Bailey Keith

Cambria Galloway

Denise Ssozi

Taleah Cooper

Players Mentioned

Andi Ahlers

Taleah Cooper

Cambria Galloway

Vittoria Juarez

Bailey Keith

Sarah Markwardt

Kelly Motes

Denise Ssozi

Players Mentioned

Andi Ahlers

Taleah Cooper

Cambria Galloway

Vittoria Juarez

Bailey Keith

Sarah Markwardt

Kelly Motes

Denise Ssozi

Footer