Saturday, October 26
Albuquerque, N.M.
10:30 a.m. MT
Air Force Academy
8-14, 5-5MW
3
at
0
New Mexico
6-16, 1-9MW
1
2
3
F
Air Force
25
25
25
3
New Mexico
21
19
18
0
Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Air Force Sweeps New Mexico for MW Road Win
10/26/2019 2:25:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Falcons finished the first half of the conference season with a program-best 5-5 record.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Air Force volleyball team closed out the first half of the conference season with an impressive road sweep of New Mexico on Saturday (Oct. 26) morning in Albuquerque. The Falcons, who finished the opening half of the season with a program-best 5-5 record, easily downed the Lobos at Dreamstyle Arena in straight 25-21, 25-19, 25-18 sets.
The five victories are the most ever during the first half of the conference season for Air Force.
Sophomores Vittoria Juarez and Bailey Keith paced the Falcons with eight kills apiece, while junior Cambria Galloway and senior Denise Ssozi each chipped in seven. Galloway, who tied with sophomore Victoria Lambos for a match-high two service aces, hit at a team-leading clip of .286 (7k-3e-14a). Juarez added a team-high three blocks, including a solo stop, while Ssozi posted a match-best 11 digs. Junior Andi Ahlers rounded out the Falcons' statistical leaders with a match-high 33 assists.
Overall, Air Force led the Lobos in kills (38-31), hitting (213-156), assists (35-28), aces (6-1) and digs (37-29), while both squads accounting for 5.0 blocks. It is just the Falcons' fifth win ever over the Lobos – and the first in Albuquerque since 2003.
Keith and Galloway opened the match with back-to-back kills and Air Force jumped out to a fast eight-point lead (10-2). The sophomore added another strike and accounted for a pair of blocks (one solo, one triple block with Ssozi and freshman Taleah Cooper) during that run, while the Falcons earned aces from Ssozi and Galloway. Following a UNM timeout at the 10-2 mark, the Lobos cut their deficit in half at the 13-9 mark, but Galloway put down two kills and served up another ace to help Air Force push its advantage back to seven (18-11). Juarez and Cooper teamed up for a block and the Falcons' collected kills from Ahlers, Cooper, Ssozi and Galloway, but New Mexico out-pointed Air Force during that stretch and pulled within two (23-22). Keith put down a kill to halt the run, while an errant attack by the Lobos secured the opening 25-21 win for the Falcons.
Galloway struck first in the second, but New Mexico turned the tables and scored seven of the next nine points to force Air Force into an early timeout at the 3-7 mark. The Lobos pushed their advantage to five (11-6) before a kill by junior Mackenzie Robertson sparked a six-point streak that saw the Falcons tie the set at 11 off of Ssozi's third kill of the run and take the 12-11 lead off of a kill by Ahlers. Five errors by the Lobos helped push the Falcons' lead to five (18-13). With Air Force leading 19-15, Juarez put down a kill and teamed up with Robertson for a block during a 5-0 run that included a service ace by junior Jordan Daniels. The Lobos held Air Force at set-point with a 4-0 scoring streak of their own, but sent a serve into the net that gave Air Force the 25-19 victory.
New Mexico struck first in the third and the two squads traded the next several points, before a kill and solo block from Juarez on back-to-back plays helped Air Force take the 6-4 lead. The Lobos evened the score two points later and the back-and-forth action resumed. A service ace by Lambos pushed the Falcons' lead back to two (10-8), while kills from Keith, Juarez and Ssozi (two) pushed the Falcons out to a 15-12 advantage at the media timeout. New Mexico pulled within two at the 17-15 mark, but the Falcons responded with a 5-0 run that included another ace from Lambos and kills from both Ssozi and Keith (22-15). Juarez added scores on back-to-back plays to reach set point, while a long serve by the Lobos allowed Air Force to claim the 25-18 win in its first-ever appearance at Dreamstyle Arena.
The win was the Falcons' first sweep since Sept. 6 – and just their sixth three-set match of the year.
The Falcons open the second half of the Mountain West season next week, when they travel to Colorado State and Wyoming for a pair of road matches. Air Force will face the 14th-ranked Rams in Fort Collins, Colo., on Thursday, Oct. 31, before heading to Laramie, Wyo., on Saturday, Nov. 2, to take on the Cowgirls.
The five victories are the most ever during the first half of the conference season for Air Force.
Sophomores Vittoria Juarez and Bailey Keith paced the Falcons with eight kills apiece, while junior Cambria Galloway and senior Denise Ssozi each chipped in seven. Galloway, who tied with sophomore Victoria Lambos for a match-high two service aces, hit at a team-leading clip of .286 (7k-3e-14a). Juarez added a team-high three blocks, including a solo stop, while Ssozi posted a match-best 11 digs. Junior Andi Ahlers rounded out the Falcons' statistical leaders with a match-high 33 assists.
Overall, Air Force led the Lobos in kills (38-31), hitting (213-156), assists (35-28), aces (6-1) and digs (37-29), while both squads accounting for 5.0 blocks. It is just the Falcons' fifth win ever over the Lobos – and the first in Albuquerque since 2003.
Keith and Galloway opened the match with back-to-back kills and Air Force jumped out to a fast eight-point lead (10-2). The sophomore added another strike and accounted for a pair of blocks (one solo, one triple block with Ssozi and freshman Taleah Cooper) during that run, while the Falcons earned aces from Ssozi and Galloway. Following a UNM timeout at the 10-2 mark, the Lobos cut their deficit in half at the 13-9 mark, but Galloway put down two kills and served up another ace to help Air Force push its advantage back to seven (18-11). Juarez and Cooper teamed up for a block and the Falcons' collected kills from Ahlers, Cooper, Ssozi and Galloway, but New Mexico out-pointed Air Force during that stretch and pulled within two (23-22). Keith put down a kill to halt the run, while an errant attack by the Lobos secured the opening 25-21 win for the Falcons.
Galloway struck first in the second, but New Mexico turned the tables and scored seven of the next nine points to force Air Force into an early timeout at the 3-7 mark. The Lobos pushed their advantage to five (11-6) before a kill by junior Mackenzie Robertson sparked a six-point streak that saw the Falcons tie the set at 11 off of Ssozi's third kill of the run and take the 12-11 lead off of a kill by Ahlers. Five errors by the Lobos helped push the Falcons' lead to five (18-13). With Air Force leading 19-15, Juarez put down a kill and teamed up with Robertson for a block during a 5-0 run that included a service ace by junior Jordan Daniels. The Lobos held Air Force at set-point with a 4-0 scoring streak of their own, but sent a serve into the net that gave Air Force the 25-19 victory.
New Mexico struck first in the third and the two squads traded the next several points, before a kill and solo block from Juarez on back-to-back plays helped Air Force take the 6-4 lead. The Lobos evened the score two points later and the back-and-forth action resumed. A service ace by Lambos pushed the Falcons' lead back to two (10-8), while kills from Keith, Juarez and Ssozi (two) pushed the Falcons out to a 15-12 advantage at the media timeout. New Mexico pulled within two at the 17-15 mark, but the Falcons responded with a 5-0 run that included another ace from Lambos and kills from both Ssozi and Keith (22-15). Juarez added scores on back-to-back plays to reach set point, while a long serve by the Lobos allowed Air Force to claim the 25-18 win in its first-ever appearance at Dreamstyle Arena.
The win was the Falcons' first sweep since Sept. 6 – and just their sixth three-set match of the year.
The Falcons open the second half of the Mountain West season next week, when they travel to Colorado State and Wyoming for a pair of road matches. Air Force will face the 14th-ranked Rams in Fort Collins, Colo., on Thursday, Oct. 31, before heading to Laramie, Wyo., on Saturday, Nov. 2, to take on the Cowgirls.
Team Stats
AF
NM
Kills
38
31
Errors
18
17
Attempts
94
90
Hitting %
.213
.156
Points
49.0
37.0
Assists
35
28
Aces
6
1
Blocks
5.0
5.0
Game Leaders
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
7
Aces
2
Blocks
0
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballRS
/ Women's VolleyballOH/RS
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballMacey Donathan Interview November 25, 2025
Tuesday, November 25
Macey Donathan Interview November 20, 2025
Thursday, November 20
Falcons fall in 5 sets to New Mexico
Saturday, November 15
Falcons reverse sweep Grand Canyon for 7th MW win of the season
Thursday, November 13
