Thursday, October 14
Laramie, WY
6:30 pm MT
Air Force Academy
4-13,1-6Mountain West
0
at
3
Wyoming
11-8,3-4Mountain West
1
2
3
F
Air Force
19
26
18
0
Wyoming
25
28
25
3
Photo by: Justin Pacheco
Falcons Drop Road Contest at Wyoming
10/14/2021 9:22:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Mac Russ registered a career-best - and match-leading - 12 kills during the three-set match.
LARAMIE, Wyo. – Despite a career-high 12 kills from freshman Mac Russ, the road woes continued for the Air Force volleyball team this evening (Oct. 14), as they suffered a 19-25, 26-28, 18-25 setback to Wyoming in Laramie.
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Russ tallied her match-leading kill total on a match-best .333 hitting (12-5-21), while also tying with classmate Ella Tschuor for the team lead in blocks (two assisted stops each). Freshman Ellie Eichhorn accounted for half of the team's 40 assists, while sophomore Caroline Reinkensmeyer, who added 15 helpers on the night, registered the squad's lone service ace. Sophomore Madison Felker, in her first start at libero, rounded out the team leaders with 10 digs.
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The Cowgirls jumped out to a fast 4-0 lead, but Air Force used a kill from senior Bailey Keith and seven Wyoming errors to score eight of the next nine and take three-point advantage at the 8-5 mark. Wyoming responded a run of its own, tallying eight-straight points to jump out to a 13-8 lead. Tschuor stopped the run with a kill, before Eichhorn and sophomore Savannah Neal tallied back-to-back kills to bring Air Force within four (11-15). A strike by junior BrookeLyn Messenger helped cut the Falcons' deficit to three at the 14-17 mark. Messenger added the Falcons' next point (15-19), while Tschuor teamed up with junior Taleah Cooper for a block and Russ put down a pair of kills in the final minutes of play, as Wyoming took the opening set – one where neither team hit over .075 – by a 25-19 margin.
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Kills from Russ and Neal gave Air Force a quick 2-1 lead to start the second set, but Wyoming responded with a 5-1 run to double up the Falcons at the 6-3 mark. Kills from Keith and Tschuor, as well as a block from Neal and Russ, kept the Falcons within three at 6-9. Russ tallied the Falcons' next two kills, while Air Force earned a kill and solo block on back-to-back plays from both Keith (10-15, 11-15) and sophomore Joi Harvey (12-16, 13-16). A kill from Russ brought the Falcons within two (15-17), while two more scores by the freshman, as well as strikes from Neal and Harvey, kept Air Force within that two-point deficit. Reinkensmeyer's ace brought the Falcons within one at 20-21 and back-to-back scores from Tschuor (kill, block with Russ) evened the set at 23. Russ, who tallied eight kills in the frame, put down set-tying kills at 24- and 26-all, but the Cowgirls nabbed the final two points for the 28-26 victory.
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The third set started much like the second, as Russ and Messenger put down kills to give Air Force a 2-1 lead, before Wyoming responded with the next five points. A pair of kills from Harvey bookended a strike from Keith to pull Air Force within two at the 5-7 mark. Wyoming scored five of the next seven points to take a five-point advantage at the 12-7 mark. Tschuor (three kills) and Messenger (two) combined for five of the Falcons' next eight points, but the Cowgirls maintained their five-point lead (18-13). Messenger and Tschuor each added one more strike, but Wyoming completed its home sweep with a 25-18 win.
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Air Force closes out the first half of the conference's home-and-home slate on Saturday (Oct. 16), when it travels to Fort Collins to face Colorado State at 1:00 p.m. (MT).
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Russ tallied her match-leading kill total on a match-best .333 hitting (12-5-21), while also tying with classmate Ella Tschuor for the team lead in blocks (two assisted stops each). Freshman Ellie Eichhorn accounted for half of the team's 40 assists, while sophomore Caroline Reinkensmeyer, who added 15 helpers on the night, registered the squad's lone service ace. Sophomore Madison Felker, in her first start at libero, rounded out the team leaders with 10 digs.
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The Cowgirls jumped out to a fast 4-0 lead, but Air Force used a kill from senior Bailey Keith and seven Wyoming errors to score eight of the next nine and take three-point advantage at the 8-5 mark. Wyoming responded a run of its own, tallying eight-straight points to jump out to a 13-8 lead. Tschuor stopped the run with a kill, before Eichhorn and sophomore Savannah Neal tallied back-to-back kills to bring Air Force within four (11-15). A strike by junior BrookeLyn Messenger helped cut the Falcons' deficit to three at the 14-17 mark. Messenger added the Falcons' next point (15-19), while Tschuor teamed up with junior Taleah Cooper for a block and Russ put down a pair of kills in the final minutes of play, as Wyoming took the opening set – one where neither team hit over .075 – by a 25-19 margin.
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Kills from Russ and Neal gave Air Force a quick 2-1 lead to start the second set, but Wyoming responded with a 5-1 run to double up the Falcons at the 6-3 mark. Kills from Keith and Tschuor, as well as a block from Neal and Russ, kept the Falcons within three at 6-9. Russ tallied the Falcons' next two kills, while Air Force earned a kill and solo block on back-to-back plays from both Keith (10-15, 11-15) and sophomore Joi Harvey (12-16, 13-16). A kill from Russ brought the Falcons within two (15-17), while two more scores by the freshman, as well as strikes from Neal and Harvey, kept Air Force within that two-point deficit. Reinkensmeyer's ace brought the Falcons within one at 20-21 and back-to-back scores from Tschuor (kill, block with Russ) evened the set at 23. Russ, who tallied eight kills in the frame, put down set-tying kills at 24- and 26-all, but the Cowgirls nabbed the final two points for the 28-26 victory.
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The third set started much like the second, as Russ and Messenger put down kills to give Air Force a 2-1 lead, before Wyoming responded with the next five points. A pair of kills from Harvey bookended a strike from Keith to pull Air Force within two at the 5-7 mark. Wyoming scored five of the next seven points to take a five-point advantage at the 12-7 mark. Tschuor (three kills) and Messenger (two) combined for five of the Falcons' next eight points, but the Cowgirls maintained their five-point lead (18-13). Messenger and Tschuor each added one more strike, but Wyoming completed its home sweep with a 25-18 win.
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Air Force closes out the first half of the conference's home-and-home slate on Saturday (Oct. 16), when it travels to Fort Collins to face Colorado State at 1:00 p.m. (MT).
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Team Stats
USAFA
UW
Kills
42
40
Errors
20
16
Attempts
115
98
Hitting %
.191
.245
Points
48
55
Assists
40
34
Aces
1
6
Blocks
5
9
Game Leaders
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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