Saturday, November 23
USAFA
1:00 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
8-22,5-13MWC
0
vs
3
UNLV
19-10,15-3MWC
1
2
3
F
UNLV
25
25
25
3
Air Force
23
23
20
0
Air Force Season Ends with Loss to UNLV
11/23/2019 10:58:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Denise Ssozi collected a team-high 10 digs in her final collegiate match.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team closed out the 2019 season with a 3-0 loss to UNLV this afternoon (Nov. 23) at the Academy's Cadet East Gym. The Falcons, playing without several members of their usual starting rotation for the second-straight match, dropped a close 25-23, 25-23, 25-20 decision to the visiting Rebels; finishing the season with an 8-22 record and a 5-13 mark in Mountain West action.
Denise Ssozi, the squad's lone senior, collected a team-high 10 digs during her final Air Force match, while also finishing second on the team in kills (nine) and blocks (one solo). Sophomore Bailey Keith accounted for team-leading 12 kills on .375 hitting (12-3-24), as she and Ssozi combined for half of the team's 41 kills. Freshman Sarah Markwardt notched a pair of service aces, while sophomore Lily Landis and junior Mackenzie Robertson led the team in assists (34) and blocks (two, both assisted), respectively.
Landis served the Falcons to the first three points of the match, as Air Force jumped to a 3-0 lead behind a Keith/Robertson block and a Ssozi kill. The Rebels pulled within one at the 4-3 mark, but three-straight kills from Keith pushed Air Force's advantage back to three (7-4). UNLV again pulled within one (9-8) and Air Force again responded to retake a multi-point lead. After kills from Ssozi, Keith and freshman BrookeLyn Messenger gave Air Force its three-point lead (13-10), a pair of Markwardt aces bookended a Keith kill that extended the Falcons' advantage to six (16-10). The Rebels scored nine of the next 13 points to tie the set at 19, before the two squads traded the next four points. Air Force took a 23-21 lead off of a pair of UNLV errors, but the Rebels were able to score the final four points for the 25-23 victory.
Robertson opened the second set with a pair of kills (2-1) during a back-and-forth beginning that included consecutive points from Messenger (kill, ace) to give the Falcons a 5-4 lead. Service aces from Landis and junior Jordan Daniels bookended a Landis/Robertson block, as the Falcons pushed their lead to four (10-6). Robertson added two more scores to keep Air Force's advantage at four (12-8), while scores from Messenger (kill at 13-9) and Landis (kill at 15-11) kept that margin intact. The Rebels scored the next five points to take the lead (16-15), before Ssozi stopped the run with a set-tying kill. Robertson and Keith put down kills to tie the set at 19, while the sophomore put down another strike to keep Air Force within one at 20-21 and 21-22. Freshman Mackenzie Kummer added a kill, but UNLV earned another 25-23 win.
The beginning of the third set saw the two squads continue to trade points, as kills from Ssozi (3-2), Keith (4-3), Messenger (5-4), Landis (6-5), Kummer (7-6) and Ssozi (8-7) produced set-leading scores for the Falcons. UNLV broke the back-and-forth action with a 7-0 run that put the Falcons in a 15-8 hole. A kill from freshman Taleah Cooper halted the Rebels' run (10-15), but UNLV continued to stretch its advantage (19-11). Kummer and Messenger recorded kills and teamed up for a block, as the Falcons cut their deficit to five (15-20). Ssozi put down a score that narrowed the gap to four (18-22), while back-to-back strikes from Keith and Cooper held the Rebels at match point (20-24). Unfortunately, UNLV earned the final point and the Falcons' season concluded with the 25-20 loss.
Denise Ssozi, the squad's lone senior, collected a team-high 10 digs during her final Air Force match, while also finishing second on the team in kills (nine) and blocks (one solo). Sophomore Bailey Keith accounted for team-leading 12 kills on .375 hitting (12-3-24), as she and Ssozi combined for half of the team's 41 kills. Freshman Sarah Markwardt notched a pair of service aces, while sophomore Lily Landis and junior Mackenzie Robertson led the team in assists (34) and blocks (two, both assisted), respectively.
Landis served the Falcons to the first three points of the match, as Air Force jumped to a 3-0 lead behind a Keith/Robertson block and a Ssozi kill. The Rebels pulled within one at the 4-3 mark, but three-straight kills from Keith pushed Air Force's advantage back to three (7-4). UNLV again pulled within one (9-8) and Air Force again responded to retake a multi-point lead. After kills from Ssozi, Keith and freshman BrookeLyn Messenger gave Air Force its three-point lead (13-10), a pair of Markwardt aces bookended a Keith kill that extended the Falcons' advantage to six (16-10). The Rebels scored nine of the next 13 points to tie the set at 19, before the two squads traded the next four points. Air Force took a 23-21 lead off of a pair of UNLV errors, but the Rebels were able to score the final four points for the 25-23 victory.
Robertson opened the second set with a pair of kills (2-1) during a back-and-forth beginning that included consecutive points from Messenger (kill, ace) to give the Falcons a 5-4 lead. Service aces from Landis and junior Jordan Daniels bookended a Landis/Robertson block, as the Falcons pushed their lead to four (10-6). Robertson added two more scores to keep Air Force's advantage at four (12-8), while scores from Messenger (kill at 13-9) and Landis (kill at 15-11) kept that margin intact. The Rebels scored the next five points to take the lead (16-15), before Ssozi stopped the run with a set-tying kill. Robertson and Keith put down kills to tie the set at 19, while the sophomore put down another strike to keep Air Force within one at 20-21 and 21-22. Freshman Mackenzie Kummer added a kill, but UNLV earned another 25-23 win.
The beginning of the third set saw the two squads continue to trade points, as kills from Ssozi (3-2), Keith (4-3), Messenger (5-4), Landis (6-5), Kummer (7-6) and Ssozi (8-7) produced set-leading scores for the Falcons. UNLV broke the back-and-forth action with a 7-0 run that put the Falcons in a 15-8 hole. A kill from freshman Taleah Cooper halted the Rebels' run (10-15), but UNLV continued to stretch its advantage (19-11). Kummer and Messenger recorded kills and teamed up for a block, as the Falcons cut their deficit to five (15-20). Ssozi put down a score that narrowed the gap to four (18-22), while back-to-back strikes from Keith and Cooper held the Rebels at match point (20-24). Unfortunately, UNLV earned the final point and the Falcons' season concluded with the 25-20 loss.
Team Stats
UNLV
USAFA
Kills
39
41
Errors
12
22
Attempts
100
113
Hitting %
.270
.168
Points
50
50
Assists
36
39
Aces
5
5
Blocks
6
4
Game Leaders
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
MB/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
RS/MH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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