Air Force Downs San Jose State

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team continued its winning ways this evening (Feb. 12), as it ended an eight-match losing skid to San Jose State during its home opener at Cadet East Gym. The Falcons, who had not beaten the Spartans since 2015, downed their conference opponents in 25-19, 25-21, 22-25, 25-20 sets to improve to 2-1 on the short season.

Hitting over .300 on the night, junior Bailey Keith (15) and sophomore BrookeLyn Messenger (14) combined for over half of the team's 56 kills. Keith (15k-3e-32a), who connected at a match-best clip of .375, shared that lead with senior Cambria Galloway, who tallied eight kills on 16 attempts, while committing just two errors. Classmate Andi Ahlers assisted on 20 of the team's scores, while junior Abigail Collins added 19 and was one of four Falcons to register a service ace. Defensively, senior Jordan Daniels tallied 18 digs, while freshman Joi Harvey accounted for six blocks (one solo, five assisted).

With two kills apiece in the opening minutes of the match, Keith and Messenger combined for the Falcons' first four offensive points and helped Air Force pull within one (8-9). Freshmen Aaryn Scires and Gabby Wilson added scores, while Keith and Messenger each added another pair of kills during a 6-1 run by the Falcons that included two Harvey-assisted blocks (Scires, Wilson) and gave Air Force the lead. The Falcons extended their advantage to five off two Messenger kills (20-15, 21-16), while a kill and solo block from Galloway helped Air Force take the 25-19 victory.

Keith again provided the scoring spark at the start of the second, tallying three kills and assisting on a block (Harvey) to tie the set at five. The Spartans tallied seven of the next nine points to take a four-point lead at the 12-8 mark, before Air Force raced back to even the set at 13 behind three kills from Galloway, an ace from Messenger and a kill from Harvey. Keith found the floor to give Air Force the 14-13 lead and added another score to stave off a Spartans' run and tie the set at 16. After putting down a kill to even the set at 17, Wilson served up an ace to tie the set at 20. Air Force took its first lead since the 14-13 mark off a kill from Messenger (21-20), while a solo stop from Harvey pushed the Falcons' advantage to three (23-20). San Jose State stopped the Falcons' five-point run with on the next play, but Messenger recorded a pair of kills to give Air Force the 25-21 win.

Air Force struck first in the third (Galloway/Scires block), but San Jose State scored 11 of the next 12 points to take the 11-2 lead. Galloway stopped the run with a kill, but the Spartans kept their advantage at nine (15-6) by claiming four of the next six points. Harvey and Scires teamed up for a block and added individual kills, while a pair of scores from Messenger cut the deficit to five (13-18). Galloway had a hand in three of the Falcons' next four points, tallying a kill and two blocks (Juarez assist, Keith assist) during a five-point swing that brought the Falcons within one (17-18). Air Force tied the set at 20 (Harvey) and 21 (Messenger), but San Jose State scored four of the final five points to extend the match with a 25-22 win.

Keith opened the fourth set and added another score to help Air Force to the early 5-3 lead. The Spartans evened the set at seven, but a kill from Harvey stopped their run and sparked a 4-1 run by the Falcons, who forced San Jose State into several serving errors at the 13-9 mark. Kills from Juarez bookended a Collins ace and a Harvey/Keith block – and a four-point run that helped push the Falcons' advantage to seven (17-10). San Jose crept within four (21-17), but three kills from Keith secured the 25-20 victory.

The Falcons and Spartans return to Cadet East Gym tomorrow (Feb. 12) for another conference contest.

Players Mentioned

Andi Ahlers

Abigail Collins

Jordan Daniels

Cambria Galloway

Joi Harvey

Bailey Keith

BrookeLyn Messenger

Aaryn Scires

Gabby Wilson