Friday, September 13
USAFA
7:00 p.m. MT
Air Force Academy
2-5
2
vs
3
UC Irvine
2-6
1
2
3
4
5
F
UC Irvine
20
25
26
15
15
3
Air Force
25
18
24
25
11
2
Photo by: Darcie Ibidapo
Air Force Drops Five-Set Contest to UC Irvine
9/13/2019 11:01:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Three Falcons tallied double-digit kill totals during Air Force's 3-2 loss to the visiting Anteaters.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team suffered a five-set defeat to UC Irvine this evening (Sept. 13), as it kicked off the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic – and its 2019 home slate – at the Academy's Cadet East Gym. Freshman Taleah Cooper tallied a career-high 12 kills to pace the Falcons during their 25-20, 18-25, 24-26, 25-15, 11-15 loss to the visiting Anteaters.
 Cooper, who recorded her first double-digit kill performance of her collegiate career on .667 hitting (12-0-18), was one of three Falcons to surpass the 10-kill plateau, as senior Denise Ssozi and sophomore Vittoria Juarez each added 11. Cooper also tied for a match-leading six blocks (one solo, five assisted), while Juarez accounted for both of Air Force's service aces. Sophomore Bailey Keith, who tied with Cooper for six blocks (all assisted), was one of three Falcons to recorded double-digit dig totals, as she tallied 16 to join juniors Alex King (match-high 23) and Andi Ahlers (12). Ahlers rounded out the Falcons' list of stat leaders, as she notched her third double-double of the year with 35 assists.
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The Falcons jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead to open the match, as Cooper posted three-straight kills to start the set. Back-to-back scores by Juarez, as well another kill by Cooper, extended the Falcons' advantage to six (8-2). The Anteaters pulled within three (9-6), but Keith tallied a kill and assisted on a block with Cooper to push the lead back to five (12-7). UC Irvine again narrowed the gap (12-10), but Air Force responded and increased its lead by forcing the Anteaters into several errors. Freshman BrookeLyn Messenger posted a kill and teamed up for a block with junior Mackenzie Robertson to push the margin to eight (20-12), while scores from Ssozi and Messenger gave the Falcons a 23-16 lead. UC Irvine scored the next four points to pull within three (23-20), but Juarez and Robertson registered kills to give Air Force the 25-20 victory.
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UC Irvine took the fast 4-1 lead in the second set, with junior Cambria Galloway registering the Falcons' lone point in the opening minutes. Ssozi accounted for two kills, while Galloway teamed up with Keith for a block, but the Anteaters rolled out to a 10-point advantage at the 19-9 mark. Backed by a service ace and solo block from Juarez, Air Force scored eight of the next 10 points to pull within four (17-21), but UC Irvine tallied four of the next five to even the match with a 25-18 win.
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Cooper struck first in the third set, while a kill and a block from Ahlers gave Air Force a 6-4 advantage. Back-to-back kills from Ssozi and Keith kept the Falcons' lead at two (9-7), while a Keith/Robertson block pushed the margin to three (11-8). After forcing the Anteaters into several attacking errors, Air Force extended its lead to five (21-16) following kills from Cooper, Keith and Robertson. Juarez tallied a kill and Ahlers teamed up for a block with Robertson, by UC Irvine scored 10 of the final 13 points to take the 26-24 victory and take a 2-1 advantage in the match.
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Recording two kills and two blocks during the first four points of the fourth set, Cooper pushed the Falcons out to a 4-0 lead. Kills from Keith and Robertson bookended a block by the pair, as Air Force jumped out to a 10-3 advantage. Additional scores from Ahlers, Juarez and Cooper extended the lead to nine (17-8), while a pair of kills from Ssozi capped a 4-0 run by the Falcons that ended with Air Force holding a 23-11 lead. UC Irvine made a small comeback, but Juarez laid down a score at 25-15 to secure the Falcons' 10-point victory and send the match into a deciding set.
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The Anteaters jumped out to a fast 9-3 start in the final set, but Robertson tallied a kill to end the run. A pair of scores from Juarez helped Air Force pull within five (7-12), while her second ace of the night came during a 4-0 run that shrunk the Falcons' deficit to two (11-13). Keith, Cooper and Ssozi registered kills in that run, but UC Irvine notched the final two points to claim the match with a 15-11 fifth-set win.
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Air Force returns to action tomorrow (Sept. 14), as it hosts Loyola Chicago (2:30 p.m.) and Virginia Tech (7:00 p.m.) in a doubleheader to close out the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic.
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 Cooper, who recorded her first double-digit kill performance of her collegiate career on .667 hitting (12-0-18), was one of three Falcons to surpass the 10-kill plateau, as senior Denise Ssozi and sophomore Vittoria Juarez each added 11. Cooper also tied for a match-leading six blocks (one solo, five assisted), while Juarez accounted for both of Air Force's service aces. Sophomore Bailey Keith, who tied with Cooper for six blocks (all assisted), was one of three Falcons to recorded double-digit dig totals, as she tallied 16 to join juniors Alex King (match-high 23) and Andi Ahlers (12). Ahlers rounded out the Falcons' list of stat leaders, as she notched her third double-double of the year with 35 assists.
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The Falcons jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead to open the match, as Cooper posted three-straight kills to start the set. Back-to-back scores by Juarez, as well another kill by Cooper, extended the Falcons' advantage to six (8-2). The Anteaters pulled within three (9-6), but Keith tallied a kill and assisted on a block with Cooper to push the lead back to five (12-7). UC Irvine again narrowed the gap (12-10), but Air Force responded and increased its lead by forcing the Anteaters into several errors. Freshman BrookeLyn Messenger posted a kill and teamed up for a block with junior Mackenzie Robertson to push the margin to eight (20-12), while scores from Ssozi and Messenger gave the Falcons a 23-16 lead. UC Irvine scored the next four points to pull within three (23-20), but Juarez and Robertson registered kills to give Air Force the 25-20 victory.
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UC Irvine took the fast 4-1 lead in the second set, with junior Cambria Galloway registering the Falcons' lone point in the opening minutes. Ssozi accounted for two kills, while Galloway teamed up with Keith for a block, but the Anteaters rolled out to a 10-point advantage at the 19-9 mark. Backed by a service ace and solo block from Juarez, Air Force scored eight of the next 10 points to pull within four (17-21), but UC Irvine tallied four of the next five to even the match with a 25-18 win.
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Cooper struck first in the third set, while a kill and a block from Ahlers gave Air Force a 6-4 advantage. Back-to-back kills from Ssozi and Keith kept the Falcons' lead at two (9-7), while a Keith/Robertson block pushed the margin to three (11-8). After forcing the Anteaters into several attacking errors, Air Force extended its lead to five (21-16) following kills from Cooper, Keith and Robertson. Juarez tallied a kill and Ahlers teamed up for a block with Robertson, by UC Irvine scored 10 of the final 13 points to take the 26-24 victory and take a 2-1 advantage in the match.
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Recording two kills and two blocks during the first four points of the fourth set, Cooper pushed the Falcons out to a 4-0 lead. Kills from Keith and Robertson bookended a block by the pair, as Air Force jumped out to a 10-3 advantage. Additional scores from Ahlers, Juarez and Cooper extended the lead to nine (17-8), while a pair of kills from Ssozi capped a 4-0 run by the Falcons that ended with Air Force holding a 23-11 lead. UC Irvine made a small comeback, but Juarez laid down a score at 25-15 to secure the Falcons' 10-point victory and send the match into a deciding set.
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The Anteaters jumped out to a fast 9-3 start in the final set, but Robertson tallied a kill to end the run. A pair of scores from Juarez helped Air Force pull within five (7-12), while her second ace of the night came during a 4-0 run that shrunk the Falcons' deficit to two (11-13). Keith, Cooper and Ssozi registered kills in that run, but UC Irvine notched the final two points to claim the match with a 15-11 fifth-set win.
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Air Force returns to action tomorrow (Sept. 14), as it hosts Loyola Chicago (2:30 p.m.) and Virginia Tech (7:00 p.m.) in a doubleheader to close out the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic.
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Team Stats
Irvine
USAFA
Kills
53
57
Errors
29
32
Attempts
176
171
Hitting %
.136
.146
Points
69
73
Assists
46
50
Aces
5
2
Blocks
11
14
Game Leaders
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
11
Aces
2
Blocks
3
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's VolleyballMB/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's VolleyballOH/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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