Falcons Drop Four-Set Match to Utah State

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team suffered a four-set loss to Utah State this morning (Oct. 9) at the Academy's Cadet East Gym. The Falcons fell in 11-25, 19-25, 25-17, 14-25 sets to the visiting Aggies.

Freshman Mac Russ tallied a match-high five blocks (one solo, four assisted) and accounted for one of the team's three service aces, while sophomore Madison Felker, another of the Falcons' scorers from the serving line, registered a career-high 12 blocks as the team's libero during the final three sets. Senior Bailey Keith posted a team-leading 11 kills, while sophomore Caroline Reinkensmeyer (20) and freshman Ellie Eichhorn (career-best 10) combined for 30 of the team's 33 assists.

Utah State scored early and often in the opening minutes of the match, taking a quick 7-2 advantage and using an 8-0 run to push its lead out to 16-4. Freshman Ella Tschuor stopped the run with a kill and teamed up for a block with junior Taleah Cooper. Keith registered her second kill of the set to help the Falcons reach double figures (10-21), but the Aggies closed out the game for the 25-11 victory.

Cooper opened the second set with a kill, while strikes from Keith and Russ quickly brought Air Force within one (3-4). The Aggies responded with five of the next six points, but junior BrookeLyn Messenger (two kills, ace), Russ (ace) and Keith (kill) combined for a 6-2 run to pull back within one (10-11). Utah State pushed its lead out to five (15-10), before a pair of kills from Russ helped Air Force climb back into the set. A strike from Messenger brought the Falcons within two (18-20), but Utah State scored five of the final six points for the 25-19 win.

Air Force jumped out to a fast 3-1 start in the third set, while a kill (Keith), ace (Felker) and block (Russ/Keith) on consecutive plays, pushed their advantage to four (6-2). Russ and sophomore Savannah Neal combined for Air Force's next three points (solo block from Russ, kill from Neal, block from both) to force the Aggies into an early timeout. The Falcons earned four-straight points from Keith, who tallied a pair of kills and teamed up with Russ for back-to-back blocks that extended the lead out to six (15-9). A kill from Eichhorn – her first collegiate score – kept the lead at six (18-12), while Messenger and Cooper kept pushing the Falcons' advantage. Keith put down a kill for a nine-point lead (24-15), while another strike by the senior secured the Falcons 25-17 victory.

Keith continued to produce kills at the start of the fourth set, tying the score at one- and two-all. Russ tallied the Falcons' next two points, but Utah State out-pointed the Falcons 4-2 during that stretch. The Aggies doubled Air Force up at the 10-5 mark, while a Neal kill and Keith/Cooper block brought Air Force within three (7-10). The Falcons benefitted off of six Utah State errors (13-17), before the Aggies used a 6-0 run to take a 10-point lead (23-13). Neal added another score, but Utah State took the set 25-14.

Air Force heads north next week to close out the first half of the conference's home-and-home schedule with contests against Wyoming (Oct. 14) and Colorado State (Oct. 16).

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.

Players Mentioned

Taleah Cooper

Ellie Eichhorn

Madison Felker

Bailey Keith

BrookeLyn Messenger

Savannah Neal

Caroline Reinkensmeyer

Mac Russ

Ella Tschuor