Thursday, October 3
USAFA
6:30 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
4-11
2
vs
3
Wyoming
8-7
1
2
3
4
5
F
Wyoming
25
23
25
22
15
3
Air Force
17
25
22
25
10
2
Photo by: Trang Le
Falcons Unable to Complete Comeback over Wyoming
10/3/2019 11:56:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Denise Ssozi registered 22 kills and 19 digs for the 27th double-double of her career.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – Despite a season-high 22 kills from senior Denise Ssozi, the Air Force volleyball team dropped a hard-fought 3-2 contest to Wyoming this evening (Oct. 3) at the Academy. The Falcons, playing in their sixth five-set match of the year, fell to the visiting Cowgirls by 17-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-21, 10-15 margins during a back-and-forth affair at Cadet East Gym.
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Ssozi accounted for the fourth 20-kill outing of her career – and her second in the last three contests – as she amassed a match-high 22 on Thursday night – more than a third of the Falcons' total. The senior, who recorded the 27th double-double of her career with 19 digs, was one of four Falcons to register at least 10 digs on the night, joining junior Alex King (match-high 31), junior Andi Ahlers (14) and sophomore Vittoria Juarez (10). Ahlers, who tied freshman BrookeLyn Messenger for a match-leading two service aces, also accounted for a double-double – the 14th of her career – following a 40-assist performance. Junior Cambria Galloway rounded out the Falcons' list of statistical leaders, as she collected five blocks on the night (all assisted).
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Sophomore Bailey Keith registered the Falcons' first point of the match, while back-to-back scores from Messenger evened the set at three. Wyoming scored the next four points, before Juarez put down a kill to halt the run. Ahlers and freshman Taleah Cooper combined for a block on the ensuing point (5-7), but the Cowgirls slowly started to pull away. A kill from Cooper put the Falcons in double figures (10-14) and Ssozi accounted for three of the Falcons' final four points, but Wyoming took the opening set 25-17.
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An ace by Ahlers, as well as a kill from Galloway helped Air Force jump out to the early 4-1 lead in the second set. The Cowgirls tied the set at five and the two squads traded the next several points, with the Falcons earning their points from Keith (6-6), Ssozi (7-7) and Cooper (8-8). The Cowgirls broke the back-and-fourth action with four of the next five points, but the Falcons forced Wyoming into three-straight attacking errors that tied the set at 14. Ssozi put down a kill that gave Air Force the lead on the next play, while strikes from Ahlers, Cooper and Juarez helped the Falcons take a 19-16 advantage. Back-to-back scores from Galloway put the Falcons up 23-18 and the Falcons' held off a late Wyoming rally to even the match with the 25-23 victory.
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Juarez struck first in the third, but Wyoming jumped out to a fast 5-2 lead and forced the Falcons into an early stoppage. The Cowgirls pushed their lead out to four (4-8) and then five (11-16), as Air Force used its second timeout. Ssozi came out of the break with a kill, while Juarez tallied two points (kill, ace) to bring Air Force back within four (17-21). Back-to-back scores from Keith cut the Falcons' deficit to three (19-22), while the sophomore added another score to keep that margin at the 20-23 mark. Air Force pulled within two off of kills from Ssozi and Juarez, but Wyoming put down the final point for the 25-22 win.
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Wyoming scored the first five points of the fourth, but Ssozi tallied three of the next four points to bring Air Force within one (4-5). Another pair of scores from Ssozi kept Air Force within one (6-7, 7-8), but the Cowgirls pushed their lead out of four (7-11). A kill and an assisted block from Galloway brought Air Force back within one (11-12), while Messenger, who teamed up with Galloway on that block, served up an ace to tie the set at 13. Air Force took the lead on the ensuing point (Ssozi kill), while Galloway and Keith made a stop to give the Falcons a two-point lead (15-13). Wyoming evened the set two plays later and the teams traded points, tying the set at 16, 18 and 20. A pair of Wyoming errors gave Air Force the 22-20 lead, while back-to-back kills from Galloway, as well as a score from Juarez, secured the 25-21 win to tie the match.
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The Cowgirls jumped out to a fast 6-1 lead in the deciding set, before a kill from Galloway stopped their run. Keith added a kill, but the squads switched sides with Wyoming holding the 8-4 advantage. The Cowgirls pushed their advantage to 11-4, before Cooper broke up their run with a kill. King registered an ace and Messenger tallied a pair of scores, but Wyoming held on for the 15-10 victory.
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The Falcons remain at the Academy on Saturday (Oct. 5), when they host 16th-ranked Colorado State at 1:00 p.m. (MT) inside Cadet East Gym.
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Ssozi accounted for the fourth 20-kill outing of her career – and her second in the last three contests – as she amassed a match-high 22 on Thursday night – more than a third of the Falcons' total. The senior, who recorded the 27th double-double of her career with 19 digs, was one of four Falcons to register at least 10 digs on the night, joining junior Alex King (match-high 31), junior Andi Ahlers (14) and sophomore Vittoria Juarez (10). Ahlers, who tied freshman BrookeLyn Messenger for a match-leading two service aces, also accounted for a double-double – the 14th of her career – following a 40-assist performance. Junior Cambria Galloway rounded out the Falcons' list of statistical leaders, as she collected five blocks on the night (all assisted).
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Sophomore Bailey Keith registered the Falcons' first point of the match, while back-to-back scores from Messenger evened the set at three. Wyoming scored the next four points, before Juarez put down a kill to halt the run. Ahlers and freshman Taleah Cooper combined for a block on the ensuing point (5-7), but the Cowgirls slowly started to pull away. A kill from Cooper put the Falcons in double figures (10-14) and Ssozi accounted for three of the Falcons' final four points, but Wyoming took the opening set 25-17.
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An ace by Ahlers, as well as a kill from Galloway helped Air Force jump out to the early 4-1 lead in the second set. The Cowgirls tied the set at five and the two squads traded the next several points, with the Falcons earning their points from Keith (6-6), Ssozi (7-7) and Cooper (8-8). The Cowgirls broke the back-and-fourth action with four of the next five points, but the Falcons forced Wyoming into three-straight attacking errors that tied the set at 14. Ssozi put down a kill that gave Air Force the lead on the next play, while strikes from Ahlers, Cooper and Juarez helped the Falcons take a 19-16 advantage. Back-to-back scores from Galloway put the Falcons up 23-18 and the Falcons' held off a late Wyoming rally to even the match with the 25-23 victory.
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Juarez struck first in the third, but Wyoming jumped out to a fast 5-2 lead and forced the Falcons into an early stoppage. The Cowgirls pushed their lead out to four (4-8) and then five (11-16), as Air Force used its second timeout. Ssozi came out of the break with a kill, while Juarez tallied two points (kill, ace) to bring Air Force back within four (17-21). Back-to-back scores from Keith cut the Falcons' deficit to three (19-22), while the sophomore added another score to keep that margin at the 20-23 mark. Air Force pulled within two off of kills from Ssozi and Juarez, but Wyoming put down the final point for the 25-22 win.
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Wyoming scored the first five points of the fourth, but Ssozi tallied three of the next four points to bring Air Force within one (4-5). Another pair of scores from Ssozi kept Air Force within one (6-7, 7-8), but the Cowgirls pushed their lead out of four (7-11). A kill and an assisted block from Galloway brought Air Force back within one (11-12), while Messenger, who teamed up with Galloway on that block, served up an ace to tie the set at 13. Air Force took the lead on the ensuing point (Ssozi kill), while Galloway and Keith made a stop to give the Falcons a two-point lead (15-13). Wyoming evened the set two plays later and the teams traded points, tying the set at 16, 18 and 20. A pair of Wyoming errors gave Air Force the 22-20 lead, while back-to-back kills from Galloway, as well as a score from Juarez, secured the 25-21 win to tie the match.
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The Cowgirls jumped out to a fast 6-1 lead in the deciding set, before a kill from Galloway stopped their run. Keith added a kill, but the squads switched sides with Wyoming holding the 8-4 advantage. The Cowgirls pushed their advantage to 11-4, before Cooper broke up their run with a kill. King registered an ace and Messenger tallied a pair of scores, but Wyoming held on for the 15-10 victory.
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The Falcons remain at the Academy on Saturday (Oct. 5), when they host 16th-ranked Colorado State at 1:00 p.m. (MT) inside Cadet East Gym.
Team Stats
UW
USAFA
Kills
58
60
Errors
24
41
Attempts
192
206
Hitting %
.177
.092
Points
69
70
Assists
52
58
Aces
0
4
Blocks
11
6
Game Leaders
Kills
22
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/OPP
/ Women's VolleyballRS
/ Women's VolleyballOH/RS
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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