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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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