Saturday, October 30
USAFA
1:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
6-16,3-9Mountain West
3
vs
1
Wyoming
13-11,5-7Mountain West
1
2
3
4
F
Wyoming
14
21
25
23
1
Air Force
25
25
16
25
3
Photo by: Justin Pacheco
Air Force Snap Skid with 3-1 Win over Wyoming
10/30/2021 4:47:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Falcons defeated the Cowgirls for the first time since 2013 - a span of 13 contests.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – Backed by a season-best nine service aces and strong all-around support in every facet of the game, the Air Force volleyball team took down Wyoming by a 3-1 score this afternoon (Oct. 30) at Cadet East Gym. With the 25-14, 25-21, 16-25, 25-23 win, the Falcons snapped a 13-match losing skid to the Cowgirls that dated back to the 2013 season – and improved to 6-3 at the Academy this year.
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Freshman Ella Tschuor posted a match-high 12 kills, while junior BrookeLyn Messenger added 10 and the duo of senior Bailey Keith and sophomore Joi Harvey accounted for nine kills apiece – with Harvey recording those at a match-high clip of .562 (9-0-16). Sophomore Caroline Reinkensmeyer led the team with 22 assists and served up three of the team's season-high nine aces, while Tschuor tallied two and the quartet of Messenger, Harvey, freshman Mac Russ and senior Lily Landis each added one. Air Force also saw strong support on defensive side of the stat sheet, with 10 different Falcons recording at least one dig and seven tallying at least one block. Messenger and Landis recorded their first double-doubles of the season, as Messenger tallied a team-leading 12 digs (10 kills) and Landis accounted for 10 digs to go along with 19 assists. Freshman Murphy Riggs also reached the 10-dig plateau, as the trio combined for 32 of the team's 54 digs. At the net, Russ (five) and Keith (four) accounted for half of the team's 9.0 total blocks (all assisted), while Harvey assisted on three and Messenger and sophomore Aaryn Scires each added two.
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Air Force rushed out to a 7-2 lead to open the match, with Messenger accounting for three of the Falcons' scores (kill, block with Russ, service ace). Russ, Keith and Tschuor also recorded kills in those opening plays to set the tone and Air Force quickly extended its advantage to 10 (17-7) behind four scores from Tschuor (three kills, service ace), two scores form Harvey (kill, block with Messenger) and a kill from Scires. Another strike by Scires, followed by an ace from Reinkensmeyer, pushed the lead to 11 at the 19-8 mark. The Cowgirls responded with three of the next four points (20-11), but Tschuor put down the Falcons' next three points to return the score to an 11-point margin. After benefitting from a Wyoming serving error, Messenger laid down a strike to secured the easy 25-14 victory.
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Despite a pair of early Air Force blocks (Keith/Russ, Harvey/Tschuor), the Cowgirls took an early 7-3 lead to start the second. Scires and Landis halted Wyoming's run, while two kills from Messenger, a kill and block from Russ (Keith on the assist) and a kill from Tschuor evened the set at 10. Wyoming scored three of the next four to retake the lead (14-11), but Air Force responded with four straight points – including a kill from Scires and an ace from Landis – to go up by one (15-14). Following a tie at 15-all, Scires (kill), Harvey (kill) and Tschuor (ace) scored on consecutive plays to put the Falcons up 18-15. Scires and Harvey teamed up for a block, while a Messenger kill helped Air Force maintain a three-point lead (21-18). The Falcons kept that margin (Messenger, 22-19; Keith, 23-20; Harvey, 24-21) and an errant attack by the Cowgirls gave Air Force the 25-21 win.
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The third set started with another 7-2 run, this time with Wyoming holding the advantage, but Air Force pulled within two (10-12) following kills from Harvey (two), Tschuor and Scires, an ace from Reinkensmeyer and a block from Keith and Russ. Air Force stayed within two (11-13), but the Cowgirls used a 10-1 run to take a 22-13 advantage. Harvey added another kill, but Wyoming took the set, 25-16.
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Backed by another Reinkensmeyer ace and kills from Harvey, Messenger, Keith and junior Taleah Cooper, Air Force scored seven of the first 10 points to start the fourth (7-3). Keith tallied another kill and teamed up for a block with Cooper that helped the Falcons take a five-point lead at the 9-4 mark. The Falcons extended their lead to six by doubling up the Cowgirls at 12-6 and responded to a three-point swing by the visitors with a kill from Messenger and Harvey's first collegiate service ace that pushed Air Force's advantage back to six (15-9). Wyoming again pulled within three at the 17-14 mark and responded to a Harvey kill with a 5-1 run that tied the set at 20. Kills from Messenger (21-20) and Scires (22-21) broke ties, with strikes from Keith and Tschuor secured the Falcons' 25-23 victory.
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Air Force travels to Utah and Idaho next week for its final full road weekend of the 2021 campaign. The Falcons will face Utah State on Thursday, Nov. 4, before heading to Boise State on Saturday, Nov. 6. Both matches are slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. (MT) and will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network.
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Freshman Ella Tschuor posted a match-high 12 kills, while junior BrookeLyn Messenger added 10 and the duo of senior Bailey Keith and sophomore Joi Harvey accounted for nine kills apiece – with Harvey recording those at a match-high clip of .562 (9-0-16). Sophomore Caroline Reinkensmeyer led the team with 22 assists and served up three of the team's season-high nine aces, while Tschuor tallied two and the quartet of Messenger, Harvey, freshman Mac Russ and senior Lily Landis each added one. Air Force also saw strong support on defensive side of the stat sheet, with 10 different Falcons recording at least one dig and seven tallying at least one block. Messenger and Landis recorded their first double-doubles of the season, as Messenger tallied a team-leading 12 digs (10 kills) and Landis accounted for 10 digs to go along with 19 assists. Freshman Murphy Riggs also reached the 10-dig plateau, as the trio combined for 32 of the team's 54 digs. At the net, Russ (five) and Keith (four) accounted for half of the team's 9.0 total blocks (all assisted), while Harvey assisted on three and Messenger and sophomore Aaryn Scires each added two.
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Air Force rushed out to a 7-2 lead to open the match, with Messenger accounting for three of the Falcons' scores (kill, block with Russ, service ace). Russ, Keith and Tschuor also recorded kills in those opening plays to set the tone and Air Force quickly extended its advantage to 10 (17-7) behind four scores from Tschuor (three kills, service ace), two scores form Harvey (kill, block with Messenger) and a kill from Scires. Another strike by Scires, followed by an ace from Reinkensmeyer, pushed the lead to 11 at the 19-8 mark. The Cowgirls responded with three of the next four points (20-11), but Tschuor put down the Falcons' next three points to return the score to an 11-point margin. After benefitting from a Wyoming serving error, Messenger laid down a strike to secured the easy 25-14 victory.
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Despite a pair of early Air Force blocks (Keith/Russ, Harvey/Tschuor), the Cowgirls took an early 7-3 lead to start the second. Scires and Landis halted Wyoming's run, while two kills from Messenger, a kill and block from Russ (Keith on the assist) and a kill from Tschuor evened the set at 10. Wyoming scored three of the next four to retake the lead (14-11), but Air Force responded with four straight points – including a kill from Scires and an ace from Landis – to go up by one (15-14). Following a tie at 15-all, Scires (kill), Harvey (kill) and Tschuor (ace) scored on consecutive plays to put the Falcons up 18-15. Scires and Harvey teamed up for a block, while a Messenger kill helped Air Force maintain a three-point lead (21-18). The Falcons kept that margin (Messenger, 22-19; Keith, 23-20; Harvey, 24-21) and an errant attack by the Cowgirls gave Air Force the 25-21 win.
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The third set started with another 7-2 run, this time with Wyoming holding the advantage, but Air Force pulled within two (10-12) following kills from Harvey (two), Tschuor and Scires, an ace from Reinkensmeyer and a block from Keith and Russ. Air Force stayed within two (11-13), but the Cowgirls used a 10-1 run to take a 22-13 advantage. Harvey added another kill, but Wyoming took the set, 25-16.
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Backed by another Reinkensmeyer ace and kills from Harvey, Messenger, Keith and junior Taleah Cooper, Air Force scored seven of the first 10 points to start the fourth (7-3). Keith tallied another kill and teamed up for a block with Cooper that helped the Falcons take a five-point lead at the 9-4 mark. The Falcons extended their lead to six by doubling up the Cowgirls at 12-6 and responded to a three-point swing by the visitors with a kill from Messenger and Harvey's first collegiate service ace that pushed Air Force's advantage back to six (15-9). Wyoming again pulled within three at the 17-14 mark and responded to a Harvey kill with a 5-1 run that tied the set at 20. Kills from Messenger (21-20) and Scires (22-21) broke ties, with strikes from Keith and Tschuor secured the Falcons' 25-23 victory.
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Air Force travels to Utah and Idaho next week for its final full road weekend of the 2021 campaign. The Falcons will face Utah State on Thursday, Nov. 4, before heading to Boise State on Saturday, Nov. 6. Both matches are slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. (MT) and will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network.
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Team Stats
UW
USAFA
Kills
43
51
Errors
20
21
Attempts
128
119
Hitting %
.180
.252
Points
58
69
Assists
37
46
Aces
7
9
Blocks
8
9
Game Leaders
Kills
12
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
9
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/OPP
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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