Falcons Fall to Loyola Chicago in Straight Sets

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to Loyola Chicago this afternoon (Sept. 14) during its second match of the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic, as it fell in straight 25-13, 25-17, 25-11 sets to the visiting Ramblers at the Academy.

Junior Cambria Galloway paced the Falcons with six kills on .250 hitting (6-2-16), while classmate Andi Ahlers led the team in assists (15) and digs (9). The pair also each accounted for an assisted block on the afternoon to tie for the team lead with classmate Mackenzie Robertson and senior Denise Ssozi. Sophomore Bailey Keith rounded out the Falcons' scoring leaders with a pair of service aces.

Keith notched two scores in the opening moments of the match, as Air Force took a 3-2 lead. Freshman BrookeLyn Messenger added a kill, but Loyola Chicago tallied six straight points to break a six-all tie and double up the Falcons by a 12-6 margin. Messenger stopped the run with another kill, but the Ramblers pushed their lead to eight at the 16-8 mark. Kills by Keith and Galloway put the Falcons in double figures and Cooper added another score, but Loyola Chicago took the opening set by a 25-13 score.

Messenger, Ahlers and Ssozi put down early kills to tie the second set at three, but the Ramblers rolled off the next four points before Ssozi put down another score to stop the run at 4-7. A strike from Galloway pulled the Falcons within two (7-9), while an Ahlers/Galloway block (8-10) and a Keith kill (9-11) kept the Falcons within two. Loyola Chicago held Air Force scoreless to push its lead to six (17-11) before Robertson and Ssozi teamed up for a stop. Keith and Ssozi tallied service aces on consecutive points, while Messenger and classmate Sarah Markwardt added kills, but the Ramblers took the set 25-17.

Keith's second ace of the match pulled the Falcons within one at the 5-4 mark, but the Ramblers pulled away from the Falcons with a 7-1 run to take a 12-5 lead. Messenger added another kill, while an ace from Ahlers and kills from Galloway, Keith and Juarez put the Falcons in double figures, but Loyola Chicago completed the sweep with the 25-11 win.

Air Force returns to the Cadet East Gym this evening (Sept. 14), as it closes out the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic with a nightcap against Virginia Tech at 7:00 p.m. (MT).

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