Photo by: Justin Pacheco
Air Force Falls in Three to Boise State
10/7/2021 8:32:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Caroline Reinkensmeyer accounted for 17 assists and half of the team's four service aces.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team's five-match home win streak came to a close this evening (Oct. 7), as the Falcons dropped a 21-25, 21-25, 15-25 decision to Boise State at Cadet East Gym.
Senior Bailey Keith led the Falcons with 12 kills, while sophomore Joi Harvey added eight scores on .467 hitting (8-1-15). Fellow sophomore Caroline Reinkensmeyer registered 17 assists and half of the team's four service aces, while freshmen Murphy Riggs and Mac Russ led the team in digs (career-best 11) and blocks (four – one solo, three assisted), respectively.
Reinkensmeyer opened the match with a service ace, while strikes from Keith (two) and junior BrookeLyn Messenger, as well as an ace from Russ, helped Air Force take an early 6-2 advantage. A pair of kills from Harvey broke up a run by the Broncos that gave the visitors their first lead of the night at 9-8. She and Messenger (10-10) tallied set-tying kills, but Boise State scored the next five points to take a 15-10 advantage. Keith stopped the run with back-to-back kills and added another to keep the Falcons' within three at 13-16. Air Force pulled within one (17-18) off kills from Harvey (two) and junior Sarah Markwardt (one), but Boise State scored four of the next five – a streak only broken up a kill from freshman Ella Tschuor. Russ, Keith and Markwardt added scores, but Boise State took the opening set by a 25-21 margin.
It was the Broncos that jumped out to a 6-2 start in the second and, despite scores from Markwardt and Harvey, extended their advantage to six at the 11-5 mark. Senior Lily Landis halted the run with a kill, while Harvey (kill), Tschuor (kill) and Riggs (ace) scored during a 4-0 run that cut the Falcons' deficit to two (10-12). Russ accounted for the Falcons' next three points, as she teamed up with Tschuor for a block and put down two massive strikes, while a kill from Keith and a solo block from Harvey tied the set at 15. The pair accounted for two more set-tying kills, before the Broncos used a 4-1 run to reestablish a multi-point lead. Russ (19-21) and Keith (21-23) pulled the Falcons with two, but Boise State held on for another 25-21 win.
Backed by a kill and two blocks from Russ and another ace from Reinkensmeyer, Air Force dominated the opening moments of the third set and raced out to a quick 7-1 lead. Keith, who assisted on Russ' second block, added a kill – and scored another to stop a 6-0 run by the Broncos that evened the set at seven. The Falcons maintained the advantage following two Boise State errors (10-9), but another run by the visitors put the Falcons in a 14-10 hole. Junior Taleah Cooper stopped the run with a kill on her first play after entering the contest, but the Broncos pushed their lead out to six at the 18-12 mark. Russ tallied a kill and solo block on back-to-back plays, while a strike from Keith brought Air Force within four (15-19), but Boise State scored six-straight points for the 25-15 victory – finalizing the first three-set contest between the two programs in five seasons.
Air Force returns to Cadet East Gym on Saturday (Oct. 9) morning, when they host Utah State at 11 a.m.
Senior Bailey Keith led the Falcons with 12 kills, while sophomore Joi Harvey added eight scores on .467 hitting (8-1-15). Fellow sophomore Caroline Reinkensmeyer registered 17 assists and half of the team's four service aces, while freshmen Murphy Riggs and Mac Russ led the team in digs (career-best 11) and blocks (four – one solo, three assisted), respectively.
Reinkensmeyer opened the match with a service ace, while strikes from Keith (two) and junior BrookeLyn Messenger, as well as an ace from Russ, helped Air Force take an early 6-2 advantage. A pair of kills from Harvey broke up a run by the Broncos that gave the visitors their first lead of the night at 9-8. She and Messenger (10-10) tallied set-tying kills, but Boise State scored the next five points to take a 15-10 advantage. Keith stopped the run with back-to-back kills and added another to keep the Falcons' within three at 13-16. Air Force pulled within one (17-18) off kills from Harvey (two) and junior Sarah Markwardt (one), but Boise State scored four of the next five – a streak only broken up a kill from freshman Ella Tschuor. Russ, Keith and Markwardt added scores, but Boise State took the opening set by a 25-21 margin.
It was the Broncos that jumped out to a 6-2 start in the second and, despite scores from Markwardt and Harvey, extended their advantage to six at the 11-5 mark. Senior Lily Landis halted the run with a kill, while Harvey (kill), Tschuor (kill) and Riggs (ace) scored during a 4-0 run that cut the Falcons' deficit to two (10-12). Russ accounted for the Falcons' next three points, as she teamed up with Tschuor for a block and put down two massive strikes, while a kill from Keith and a solo block from Harvey tied the set at 15. The pair accounted for two more set-tying kills, before the Broncos used a 4-1 run to reestablish a multi-point lead. Russ (19-21) and Keith (21-23) pulled the Falcons with two, but Boise State held on for another 25-21 win.
Backed by a kill and two blocks from Russ and another ace from Reinkensmeyer, Air Force dominated the opening moments of the third set and raced out to a quick 7-1 lead. Keith, who assisted on Russ' second block, added a kill – and scored another to stop a 6-0 run by the Broncos that evened the set at seven. The Falcons maintained the advantage following two Boise State errors (10-9), but another run by the visitors put the Falcons in a 14-10 hole. Junior Taleah Cooper stopped the run with a kill on her first play after entering the contest, but the Broncos pushed their lead out to six at the 18-12 mark. Russ tallied a kill and solo block on back-to-back plays, while a strike from Keith brought Air Force within four (15-19), but Boise State scored six-straight points for the 25-15 victory – finalizing the first three-set contest between the two programs in five seasons.
Air Force returns to Cadet East Gym on Saturday (Oct. 9) morning, when they host Utah State at 11 a.m.
Team Stats
Boise
USAFA
Kills
46
39
Errors
11
13
Attempts
108
98
Hitting %
.324
.265
Points
59
48
Assists
44
34
Aces
8
4
Blocks
5
5
Game Leaders
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