Saturday, February 27
USAFA
6:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
4-4,4-4Mountain West
2
vs
3
New Mexico
3-5,3-5Mountain West
1
2
3
4
5
F
New Mexico
25
25
13
25
15
3
Air Force
22
9
25
27
9
2
Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Comeback Falls Short Against New Mexico
2/27/2021 11:04:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Jordan Daniels tallied a career-best 28 digs during the Falcons' 84-dig evening.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team's comeback against New Mexico fell six points short this evening (Feb. 27), as the Falcons dropped a tough five-set contest to the visiting Lobos at Cadet East Gym. After falling 22-25, 9-25 in the first two sets, Air Force rallied to tie the match with a pair of 25-13, 27-25 victories, but were unable to complete the comeback with a 9-15 loss in the deciding set.
While Friday's contest featured an impressive kill total from the Falcons, Saturday's match was all about the Air Force dig. Senior Jordan Daniels registered a career-high 28 digs on Saturday night, while senior Andi Ahlers and sophomore BrookeLyn Messenger each added 13 (career high for Messenger) to help Air Force to a season-high 84 total digs.
Ahlers also accounted for a season-high 32 assists, en route to her second double-double of the weekend – and third of the year. Freshman Caroline Reinkensmeyer tallied a pair of service aces on the night, while junior Bailey Keith paced the Falcons with 15 kills and senior Cambria Galloway added 14 scores on .429 hitting (14-2-28). Keith also shared the team-lead in blocking, as she and freshman Aaryn Scires teamed up for three assisted blocks.
Galloway tallied two of the Falcons' first three points to open the match, while a pair of kills from freshman Joi Harvey helped Air Force tie the set at six. The Lobos took a three-point lead at the 8-11 mark, but Air Force, backed by kills from Galloway, Messenger and Ahlers, scored the next five points to go up 13-11. Another score from Messenger, as well as Reinkensmeyer's second ace of the set pushed Air Force's lead to three (15-12), but New Mexico came back to even the set at 15. Harvey stopped the Lobos run with a kill, but the Falcons benefitted from two UNM errors to tie the score at 19. New Mexico tallied four of the next five points and, despite kills from Galloway and junior Vittoria Juarez, won the opening set 25-22.
It was a tough second set for the Falcons, who saw New Mexico double up the score (6-12) before Galloway accounted for Air Force's first offensive point (7-13). Galloway added another pair of kills, but the Lobos rolled to the 25-9 victory.
Keith tallied the first three points of the third set to help Air Force jump out to a quick 3-1 lead, while a pair of kills from Juarez helped halt a run by the Lobos and give Air Force a 5-4 lead. Freshman Aaryn Scires (6-5) and Neal (8-7) kept Air Force in the lead following back-and-forth play between the two teams, before the Falcons began to pull away. Ahlers nabbed an ace, while a pair of kills from Neal pushed Air Force's advantage to four at the 12-8 mark. Following a score by the Lobos, Air Force tallied nine-straight points to jump to the 21-9 lead. Keith and Juarez added a pair of kills during the run, which was backed by strong serving from Daniels. Keith and Messenger added scores, while a block from Neal and Scires finalized Air Force's easy 25-13 win.
New Mexico jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead, but Air Force climbed back within one (5-6) behind three points from Keith (one kill, two Scires-assisted blocks). Another Lobo run was quickly answered by an Air Force run that included a kill from junior Abigail Collins and an ace from Juarez (8-9). The same scenario played out again with a UNM run stopped by one from the Falcons – this time Galloway (two), Neal and Keith putting down scores to tie the set at 15. A two-point lead by New Mexico was negated by a kill from Keith and a service ace from senior Alex King (18-18), while a UNM attacking error on the ensuing play gave Air Force its first lead of the set. Following tied scores at 20- and 22-all, Keith took control of the set, tallying the final four points of the set for Air Force. After a set-tying score at 24, Keith added another and then used back-to-back kills to break a 25-all tie and give Air Force the 27-25 victory.
Messenger and Harvey put down the Falcons' first two points of the deciding set, while another score from the freshman stopped a 4-0 Lobo run at the 3-5 mark. Galloway added three more kills (6-9), but New Mexico held off another pair of points from Harvey (kill, Juarez-assisted block) and halted the Falcons' comeback with the 15-9 win.
Air Force remains at the Academy next week, when Fresno State visits the Academy for a pair of conference contests on March 5-6.
While Friday's contest featured an impressive kill total from the Falcons, Saturday's match was all about the Air Force dig. Senior Jordan Daniels registered a career-high 28 digs on Saturday night, while senior Andi Ahlers and sophomore BrookeLyn Messenger each added 13 (career high for Messenger) to help Air Force to a season-high 84 total digs.
Ahlers also accounted for a season-high 32 assists, en route to her second double-double of the weekend – and third of the year. Freshman Caroline Reinkensmeyer tallied a pair of service aces on the night, while junior Bailey Keith paced the Falcons with 15 kills and senior Cambria Galloway added 14 scores on .429 hitting (14-2-28). Keith also shared the team-lead in blocking, as she and freshman Aaryn Scires teamed up for three assisted blocks.
Galloway tallied two of the Falcons' first three points to open the match, while a pair of kills from freshman Joi Harvey helped Air Force tie the set at six. The Lobos took a three-point lead at the 8-11 mark, but Air Force, backed by kills from Galloway, Messenger and Ahlers, scored the next five points to go up 13-11. Another score from Messenger, as well as Reinkensmeyer's second ace of the set pushed Air Force's lead to three (15-12), but New Mexico came back to even the set at 15. Harvey stopped the Lobos run with a kill, but the Falcons benefitted from two UNM errors to tie the score at 19. New Mexico tallied four of the next five points and, despite kills from Galloway and junior Vittoria Juarez, won the opening set 25-22.
It was a tough second set for the Falcons, who saw New Mexico double up the score (6-12) before Galloway accounted for Air Force's first offensive point (7-13). Galloway added another pair of kills, but the Lobos rolled to the 25-9 victory.
Keith tallied the first three points of the third set to help Air Force jump out to a quick 3-1 lead, while a pair of kills from Juarez helped halt a run by the Lobos and give Air Force a 5-4 lead. Freshman Aaryn Scires (6-5) and Neal (8-7) kept Air Force in the lead following back-and-forth play between the two teams, before the Falcons began to pull away. Ahlers nabbed an ace, while a pair of kills from Neal pushed Air Force's advantage to four at the 12-8 mark. Following a score by the Lobos, Air Force tallied nine-straight points to jump to the 21-9 lead. Keith and Juarez added a pair of kills during the run, which was backed by strong serving from Daniels. Keith and Messenger added scores, while a block from Neal and Scires finalized Air Force's easy 25-13 win.
New Mexico jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead, but Air Force climbed back within one (5-6) behind three points from Keith (one kill, two Scires-assisted blocks). Another Lobo run was quickly answered by an Air Force run that included a kill from junior Abigail Collins and an ace from Juarez (8-9). The same scenario played out again with a UNM run stopped by one from the Falcons – this time Galloway (two), Neal and Keith putting down scores to tie the set at 15. A two-point lead by New Mexico was negated by a kill from Keith and a service ace from senior Alex King (18-18), while a UNM attacking error on the ensuing play gave Air Force its first lead of the set. Following tied scores at 20- and 22-all, Keith took control of the set, tallying the final four points of the set for Air Force. After a set-tying score at 24, Keith added another and then used back-to-back kills to break a 25-all tie and give Air Force the 27-25 victory.
Messenger and Harvey put down the Falcons' first two points of the deciding set, while another score from the freshman stopped a 4-0 Lobo run at the 3-5 mark. Galloway added three more kills (6-9), but New Mexico held off another pair of points from Harvey (kill, Juarez-assisted block) and halted the Falcons' comeback with the 15-9 win.
Air Force remains at the Academy next week, when Fresno State visits the Academy for a pair of conference contests on March 5-6.
Team Stats
UNM
USAFA
Kills
49
58
Errors
20
35
Attempts
160
175
Hitting %
.181
.131
Points
66
68
Assists
46
54
Aces
9
5
Blocks
8
5
Game Leaders
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballMB/OPP
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/OPP
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