Thursday, November 14
San Diego, Calif.
7:00 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
8-19 (5-10MW)
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San Diego State
14-13 (7-9MW)
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Air Force
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25
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San Diego State
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Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Air Force Drops 3-1 Contest to San Diego State
11/14/2019 11:55:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Air Force volleyball team opened its final road trip of the year with a 3-1 loss to San Diego State at Peterson Gym on Thursday, Nov. 14. The Falcons split the opening two sets with the host Aztecs – 18-25, 25-23 – before dropping a pair of narrow 25-23, 25-22 contests.
Senior Denise Ssozi and sophomore Vittoria Juarez combined for 27 of the team's 48 total kills, as Ssozi accounted for a match-best 14 scores and Juarez added 13 strikes on a match-high .357 hitting performance (13-3-28). Juarez, a San Diego native, also accounted for one of the team's four service aces, (junior Alex King, sophomore Victoria Lambos, sophomore Lily Landis) and assisted on three blocks. King posted a match-leading 20 digs on the day, while Landis, who came on in relief at the setter position, registered 24 assists in two-and-a-half sets. Junior Mackenzie Robertson rounded out the Falcons' list of statistical leaders, as she assisted on four blocks.
Four different Falcons contributed to Air Force's first six points, as Ssozi, junior Andi Ahlers, sophomore Bailey Keith and junior San Diego native Cambia Galloway helped Air Force take an early 6-3 lead in the match. The Aztecs tied the set at seven, but Ahlers and Ssozi each accounted for another kill and teamed up with Galloway for a triple block to give Air Force a one-point lead (10-9). San Diego State scored the next four points to take a three-point lead (13-10), before Ssozi stopped the run with a kill. Three attacking errors by the Aztecs kept Air Force within one on separate occasions, while a kill by Juarez helped Air Force at the 15-16 mark. San Diego State registered seven of the next eight points (16-23) and, despite a pair of kills from Ssozi, took the opening set 25-18.
The second set was a back-and-forth affair, with Keith, Juarez and Ahlers counting for kills as the teams traded the first six points (3-3). Air Force earned the next point to take its first lead of the set (4-3), while strikes from Ssozi (5-4) and Keith (6-5) accounted for set-leading points in another stretch of back-and-forth action. After an attacking error by the Aztecs tied the set at 13, Air Force used a 6-1 run to take a three-point lead (19-16). King and Lambos tallied aces during the run, while Keith put down a kill and assisted on a pair of blocks (one with freshman Taleah Cooper, one with Galloway). The Aztecs tied the set at 19, but two kills and a service ace from Juarez pushed the Falcons' advantage out to two (22-20). Galloway and Ssozi accounted for kills and a service ace from Landis secured the two-point (25-23) win for Air Force.
Juarez put down the first point of the third set, while Landis put down a kill that helped the Falcons to an early 5-2 lead. Another triple block – this time by Landis, Keith and Cooper – helped the Falcons push their advantage to four (9-5), but the Aztecs responded to pull within one at the 9-8 mark. San Diego State took its first lead at 12-11, while Galloway put down a kill to even the set on the next play. After matching scores at 13, 14 and 15, the Aztecs tallied four of the next five points to take a 19-16 lead. Juarez, Ssozi and Cooper put down kills, while a block by Juarez and Robertson brought the Falcons back within one at 20-21. Back-to-back kills from Robertson and Ssozi halted a two-point run by the Aztecs and brought Air Force back within one (22-23). Landis added one more kill to the set, but the Falcons' comeback fell just short as San Diego State scored two of the final three points for the 25-23 win.
Kills from Juarez and Robertson helped Air Force to a four-all tie in the opening moments of the fourth set, but a five-point run by the Aztecs saw the Falcons fall into a 9-4 deficit. Benefitting from six errors from the Aztecs, Air Force was able to tie the set at 10. Robertson assisted on back-to-back blocks (one with Juarez, one with Cooper) to give Air Force the lead at 14-12, while a strike by Juarez kept the Falcons within one (15-14) and a score by Landis tied the set at 16. After Robertson put down a kill to keep the score tied (17), the Aztecs used a 6-1 run to take a 23-18 advantage. Juarez (two), Ssozi and Robertson tallied kills to pull within two (22-24), but the Aztecs claimed the final point for the 25-22 win.
Air Force returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 16, when it closes out the road portion of the 2019 season at Fresno State. Action begins at 1:00 p.m. (PT), inside the Save Mart Center.
Senior Denise Ssozi and sophomore Vittoria Juarez combined for 27 of the team's 48 total kills, as Ssozi accounted for a match-best 14 scores and Juarez added 13 strikes on a match-high .357 hitting performance (13-3-28). Juarez, a San Diego native, also accounted for one of the team's four service aces, (junior Alex King, sophomore Victoria Lambos, sophomore Lily Landis) and assisted on three blocks. King posted a match-leading 20 digs on the day, while Landis, who came on in relief at the setter position, registered 24 assists in two-and-a-half sets. Junior Mackenzie Robertson rounded out the Falcons' list of statistical leaders, as she assisted on four blocks.
Four different Falcons contributed to Air Force's first six points, as Ssozi, junior Andi Ahlers, sophomore Bailey Keith and junior San Diego native Cambia Galloway helped Air Force take an early 6-3 lead in the match. The Aztecs tied the set at seven, but Ahlers and Ssozi each accounted for another kill and teamed up with Galloway for a triple block to give Air Force a one-point lead (10-9). San Diego State scored the next four points to take a three-point lead (13-10), before Ssozi stopped the run with a kill. Three attacking errors by the Aztecs kept Air Force within one on separate occasions, while a kill by Juarez helped Air Force at the 15-16 mark. San Diego State registered seven of the next eight points (16-23) and, despite a pair of kills from Ssozi, took the opening set 25-18.
The second set was a back-and-forth affair, with Keith, Juarez and Ahlers counting for kills as the teams traded the first six points (3-3). Air Force earned the next point to take its first lead of the set (4-3), while strikes from Ssozi (5-4) and Keith (6-5) accounted for set-leading points in another stretch of back-and-forth action. After an attacking error by the Aztecs tied the set at 13, Air Force used a 6-1 run to take a three-point lead (19-16). King and Lambos tallied aces during the run, while Keith put down a kill and assisted on a pair of blocks (one with freshman Taleah Cooper, one with Galloway). The Aztecs tied the set at 19, but two kills and a service ace from Juarez pushed the Falcons' advantage out to two (22-20). Galloway and Ssozi accounted for kills and a service ace from Landis secured the two-point (25-23) win for Air Force.
Juarez put down the first point of the third set, while Landis put down a kill that helped the Falcons to an early 5-2 lead. Another triple block – this time by Landis, Keith and Cooper – helped the Falcons push their advantage to four (9-5), but the Aztecs responded to pull within one at the 9-8 mark. San Diego State took its first lead at 12-11, while Galloway put down a kill to even the set on the next play. After matching scores at 13, 14 and 15, the Aztecs tallied four of the next five points to take a 19-16 lead. Juarez, Ssozi and Cooper put down kills, while a block by Juarez and Robertson brought the Falcons back within one at 20-21. Back-to-back kills from Robertson and Ssozi halted a two-point run by the Aztecs and brought Air Force back within one (22-23). Landis added one more kill to the set, but the Falcons' comeback fell just short as San Diego State scored two of the final three points for the 25-23 win.
Kills from Juarez and Robertson helped Air Force to a four-all tie in the opening moments of the fourth set, but a five-point run by the Aztecs saw the Falcons fall into a 9-4 deficit. Benefitting from six errors from the Aztecs, Air Force was able to tie the set at 10. Robertson assisted on back-to-back blocks (one with Juarez, one with Cooper) to give Air Force the lead at 14-12, while a strike by Juarez kept the Falcons within one (15-14) and a score by Landis tied the set at 16. After Robertson put down a kill to keep the score tied (17), the Aztecs used a 6-1 run to take a 23-18 advantage. Juarez (two), Ssozi and Robertson tallied kills to pull within two (22-24), but the Aztecs claimed the final point for the 25-22 win.
Air Force returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 16, when it closes out the road portion of the 2019 season at Fresno State. Action begins at 1:00 p.m. (PT), inside the Save Mart Center.
Team Stats
AF
SDSU
Kills
48
54
Errors
24
28
Attempts
131
135
Hitting %
.183
.193
Points
62.0
68.0
Assists
47
49
Aces
4
3
Blocks
10.0
11.0
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
13
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
4
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/OPP
/ Women's VolleyballOH/RS
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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