Friday, March 19
Logan, Utah
5:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
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at
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Utah State
Air Force Falls to Utah State in Five
3/19/2021 9:31:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
LOGAN, Utah – Despite a career-high eight service aces from sophomore BrookeLyn Messenger, the Air Force volleyball team suffered a tough 3-2 loss to Utah State on Friday, March 19, in Logan. After dropping the first set 25-17, the Falcons rebounded to take the next two by 28-26, 25-18 margins, but were unable to close out the match, as the Aggies evened the set with a 25-11 win in the fourth and claimed the narrow 17-15 win in the fifth.
With eight aces, Messenger accounted for the second-highest single-match performance in Academy history. The sophomore was one of five Falcons to record a point from the serving line, as Air Force combined for a season-best 13 aces. Junior Bailey Keith added a pair of aces, while senior Jordan Daniels, freshman Gabby Wilson and classmate Caroline Reinkensmeyer each added one.
Keith led the Falcons with 13 kills on .385 hitting (13-3-26), while sophomore Sarah Markwardt and freshman Joi Harvey each added a career-high 12 kills and hit over .250 on the night (12-5-25, .280 for Markwardt, 12-5-27, .259 for Harvey). Keith also accounted for a team-leading, career-high 17 digs for the second double-double of her career, while senior Andi Ahlers tallied 24 assists and 11 digs for her 23rd double-double. Harvey also accounted for two of the team's four assisted blocks, as Air Force was out-blocked by the Aggies, 14-2 – the only major stat discrepancy between the two teams on Friday.
With her next-to-last helper, Ahlers became the Academy's sixth DI player to reach the 2000-assist mark.
Messenger kicked off the match with back-to-back aces, while kills from Keith and Markwardt helped the Falcons take the early 4-2 lead. Harvey tallied the next three Air Force points to give the Falcons an 8-5 lead, but Utah State responded with four of the next five points to tie the set at nine. Keith added another pair of kills, but the Aggies pushed their advantage to five at the 16-11 mark. Another pair of scores from Harvey kept the Falcons' deficit at five (14-19), but the Aggies scored four-straight points to extend their lead and, ultimately, take the opening set by a 25-17 margin.
Junior Vittoria Juarez and sophomore Taleah Cooper put down kills to open the second set, but Utah State took the early 6-3 lead. Messenger put down a kill and teamed up with Harvey for a block, as Air Force scored three-straight points to tie the set at six. The teams traded the next four points, before three-straight aces from Messenger helped Air Force take a 12-8 lead. Back-to-back kills from Keith pushed the Falcons' lead out to five (14-9), while Markwardt added another pair of scores at the 17-15 mark. Utah State scored the next four points to tie the set at 17 and take a 19-17 lead, before Juarez stopped the run with a kill. Two more scores from Juarez, as well as another kill by Markwardt allowed Air Force to tie the set at 21, while kills from Keith and Harvey evened the score again at 23. The teams traded the next six points, tying the set at 24, 25 and 26. Following a kill by Markwardt that accounted for the set-tying kill at 26-all, Harvey and Messenger put down scores to give Air Force the 28-26 victory.
Backed by another ace from Messenger and kills from both Keith and Cooper, Air Force jumped out to an early 4-1 lead to start the third set. The Aggies pulled within one at the 5-4 mark and eventually tied the set at six, before the teams traded the next several points. Keith put down another kill to break a nine-all tie, while back-to-back aces from Messenger helped Air Force push its lead to four (13-9). Cooper added another score to spark an 8-2 run by the Falcons that included a pair of kills from Markwardt. Keith (ace) and Harvey (kill) also scored during the run that pushed the Falcons' lead to eight (21-13). With Messenger, Juarez and Cooper adding scores, Air Force easily took the set by a 25-18 margin.
While Air Force controlled the pace of the third set, Utah State controlled the fourth – jumping out to a 6-2 lead and pushing its advantage to eight (12-4). Harvey and Cooper added kills to keep the Falcons within eight (14-6, Harvey; 15-7, Cooper), but the Aggies continued to pull away and eventually extended its lead to 10 (17-7). Freshman Gabby Willson, senior Cambria Galloway and Markwardt added kills, but Utah State evened the match with a 25-11 victory.
The Falcons scored three of the first four points in the deciding set – and pushed their advantage to five (8-3) behind an ace from Reinkensmeyer and a pair of kills from Keith. Harvey extended the Falcons' lead to six, but the Aggies came back to pull within two (10-8). Markwardt tallied back-to-back kills to reestablish a four-point margin (12-8), but another run by Utah State tied the set at 12. The Falcons reached match-point first (14-13) off an Aggie error – and again (15-14) off a Galloway kill, but Utah State successfully challenged the Falcons' would-be match-winning point and tied the set at 15. The Aggies followed up the long review with a pair of points to take the 17-15 victory – marking the Falcons' fourth five-set loss of the year.
The Falcons return to the Wayne Estes Center tomorrow (March 20) for a rematch with the Aggies at 1:00 p.m. (MT).
With eight aces, Messenger accounted for the second-highest single-match performance in Academy history. The sophomore was one of five Falcons to record a point from the serving line, as Air Force combined for a season-best 13 aces. Junior Bailey Keith added a pair of aces, while senior Jordan Daniels, freshman Gabby Wilson and classmate Caroline Reinkensmeyer each added one.
Keith led the Falcons with 13 kills on .385 hitting (13-3-26), while sophomore Sarah Markwardt and freshman Joi Harvey each added a career-high 12 kills and hit over .250 on the night (12-5-25, .280 for Markwardt, 12-5-27, .259 for Harvey). Keith also accounted for a team-leading, career-high 17 digs for the second double-double of her career, while senior Andi Ahlers tallied 24 assists and 11 digs for her 23rd double-double. Harvey also accounted for two of the team's four assisted blocks, as Air Force was out-blocked by the Aggies, 14-2 – the only major stat discrepancy between the two teams on Friday.
With her next-to-last helper, Ahlers became the Academy's sixth DI player to reach the 2000-assist mark.
Messenger kicked off the match with back-to-back aces, while kills from Keith and Markwardt helped the Falcons take the early 4-2 lead. Harvey tallied the next three Air Force points to give the Falcons an 8-5 lead, but Utah State responded with four of the next five points to tie the set at nine. Keith added another pair of kills, but the Aggies pushed their advantage to five at the 16-11 mark. Another pair of scores from Harvey kept the Falcons' deficit at five (14-19), but the Aggies scored four-straight points to extend their lead and, ultimately, take the opening set by a 25-17 margin.
Junior Vittoria Juarez and sophomore Taleah Cooper put down kills to open the second set, but Utah State took the early 6-3 lead. Messenger put down a kill and teamed up with Harvey for a block, as Air Force scored three-straight points to tie the set at six. The teams traded the next four points, before three-straight aces from Messenger helped Air Force take a 12-8 lead. Back-to-back kills from Keith pushed the Falcons' lead out to five (14-9), while Markwardt added another pair of scores at the 17-15 mark. Utah State scored the next four points to tie the set at 17 and take a 19-17 lead, before Juarez stopped the run with a kill. Two more scores from Juarez, as well as another kill by Markwardt allowed Air Force to tie the set at 21, while kills from Keith and Harvey evened the score again at 23. The teams traded the next six points, tying the set at 24, 25 and 26. Following a kill by Markwardt that accounted for the set-tying kill at 26-all, Harvey and Messenger put down scores to give Air Force the 28-26 victory.
Backed by another ace from Messenger and kills from both Keith and Cooper, Air Force jumped out to an early 4-1 lead to start the third set. The Aggies pulled within one at the 5-4 mark and eventually tied the set at six, before the teams traded the next several points. Keith put down another kill to break a nine-all tie, while back-to-back aces from Messenger helped Air Force push its lead to four (13-9). Cooper added another score to spark an 8-2 run by the Falcons that included a pair of kills from Markwardt. Keith (ace) and Harvey (kill) also scored during the run that pushed the Falcons' lead to eight (21-13). With Messenger, Juarez and Cooper adding scores, Air Force easily took the set by a 25-18 margin.
While Air Force controlled the pace of the third set, Utah State controlled the fourth – jumping out to a 6-2 lead and pushing its advantage to eight (12-4). Harvey and Cooper added kills to keep the Falcons within eight (14-6, Harvey; 15-7, Cooper), but the Aggies continued to pull away and eventually extended its lead to 10 (17-7). Freshman Gabby Willson, senior Cambria Galloway and Markwardt added kills, but Utah State evened the match with a 25-11 victory.
The Falcons scored three of the first four points in the deciding set – and pushed their advantage to five (8-3) behind an ace from Reinkensmeyer and a pair of kills from Keith. Harvey extended the Falcons' lead to six, but the Aggies came back to pull within two (10-8). Markwardt tallied back-to-back kills to reestablish a four-point margin (12-8), but another run by Utah State tied the set at 12. The Falcons reached match-point first (14-13) off an Aggie error – and again (15-14) off a Galloway kill, but Utah State successfully challenged the Falcons' would-be match-winning point and tied the set at 15. The Aggies followed up the long review with a pair of points to take the 17-15 victory – marking the Falcons' fourth five-set loss of the year.
The Falcons return to the Wayne Estes Center tomorrow (March 20) for a rematch with the Aggies at 1:00 p.m. (MT).
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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MB/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
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