Saturday, March 20
Logan, Utah
1:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
6-6,6-6Mountain West
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Utah State
3-8,3-8Mountain West
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Air Force
25
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Utah St.
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Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Falcons Rebound with Sweep Of Utah State
3/20/2021 4:40:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
LOGAN, Utah – The Air Force volleyball team returned to .500 this afternoon (March 20), as it claimed its third road sweep of the season in a 25-19, 26-24, 25-20 victory over Utah State at the Wayne Estes Center in Logan. The Falcons bounced back from last night's tough, five-set loss to hold the Aggies to just .018 hitting and claim their third victory of the year away from the Academy.
Freshman Joi Harvey tallied a match-high five blocks (all assisted) and hit over .400 for the sixth time this season (.417, 7-2-12). Junior Bailey Keith led the Falcons with nine kills, as Air Force out-killed the Aggies by a 38-26 margin. Senior Jordan Daniels tallied team-leading marks in digs (21) and service aces (two), while classmate Andi Ahlers rounded out the Falcons' list of stat leaders with 16 assists.
Keith put the Falcons on the board first, as she tallied a pair of kills and assisted senior Cambria Galloway on a block to give Air Force the early 3-1 lead. The Aggies scored the next three points, but sophomore Sarah Markwardt put down a kill to even the set at four. The teams traded the next several points, with Harvey (5-4) and Keith (6-5) adding kills to counter the Aggies. Junior Vittoria Juarez put down back-to-back kills that tied the score at nine and gave Air Force a lead (10-9) that it would not relinquish. Kills from Markwardt (13-10) and Galloway (14-11) helped the Falcons extend their lead to three, while Markwardt teamed up with Harvey for a block that pushed the advantage to six (18-12). Utah State came back within four at 21-17, but a kill from Juarez and an ace from Ahlers allowed Air Force to earn the 25-19 victory.
A kill and ace from Messenger, as well as a score from Keith helped Air Force jump out to a fast 4-1 lead to start the second set. Galloway scored the Falcons' next two points to double up the Aggies at 6-3, but Utah State responded, tallying five-straight points to tie the set at nine and take its own three-point lead at the 12-9 mark. Messenger stopped the run with a kill, while back-to-back service aces from Daniels helped Air Force even the score at 14. Following another tie at 16-all, Air Force benefitted from three Utah State errors to take a 19-17 lead. The evened the score (19), but Harvey broke the tie with a kill. Another pair of Aggie errors, as well as a Galloway kill, helped Air Force take a 23-21 lead, but Utah State tallied the next three scores to reach set-point (24-23) first. While a serving error allowed Air Force to force extra time with a 24-all tie, Harvey and Keith teamed up for another block to help Air Force take the 26-24 win.
Kills from Keith and Galloway gave Air Force a 3-1 lead for the third time in as many sets, while scores from Markwardt and Harvey pushed the Falcons' advantage to three (5-2). Utah State pulled within one (6-5), before Air Force used a 7-1 run to establish a seven-point cushion (13-6). Markwardt and Harvey both tallied kills during that run, while Markwardt added an ace and Harvey assisted on a pair of blocks. Another stop by the freshman pushed the Falcons' lead to eight (15-7), while Juarez, the other half of that block, added a pair of kills to make the score 17-12. Utah State pulled within two (18-16) and refused Air Force another long scoring run. Keith and Messenger put down kills to give the Falcons a 22-19 lead, while two more Aggie errors and a successful challenge by the Falcons secured the 25-20 Air Force win.
The Falcons return to Cadet East Gym next week to close out the home portion of the delayed 2020 season with conference matches against Wyoming (March 25) and Boise State (March 27).
Freshman Joi Harvey tallied a match-high five blocks (all assisted) and hit over .400 for the sixth time this season (.417, 7-2-12). Junior Bailey Keith led the Falcons with nine kills, as Air Force out-killed the Aggies by a 38-26 margin. Senior Jordan Daniels tallied team-leading marks in digs (21) and service aces (two), while classmate Andi Ahlers rounded out the Falcons' list of stat leaders with 16 assists.
Keith put the Falcons on the board first, as she tallied a pair of kills and assisted senior Cambria Galloway on a block to give Air Force the early 3-1 lead. The Aggies scored the next three points, but sophomore Sarah Markwardt put down a kill to even the set at four. The teams traded the next several points, with Harvey (5-4) and Keith (6-5) adding kills to counter the Aggies. Junior Vittoria Juarez put down back-to-back kills that tied the score at nine and gave Air Force a lead (10-9) that it would not relinquish. Kills from Markwardt (13-10) and Galloway (14-11) helped the Falcons extend their lead to three, while Markwardt teamed up with Harvey for a block that pushed the advantage to six (18-12). Utah State came back within four at 21-17, but a kill from Juarez and an ace from Ahlers allowed Air Force to earn the 25-19 victory.
A kill and ace from Messenger, as well as a score from Keith helped Air Force jump out to a fast 4-1 lead to start the second set. Galloway scored the Falcons' next two points to double up the Aggies at 6-3, but Utah State responded, tallying five-straight points to tie the set at nine and take its own three-point lead at the 12-9 mark. Messenger stopped the run with a kill, while back-to-back service aces from Daniels helped Air Force even the score at 14. Following another tie at 16-all, Air Force benefitted from three Utah State errors to take a 19-17 lead. The evened the score (19), but Harvey broke the tie with a kill. Another pair of Aggie errors, as well as a Galloway kill, helped Air Force take a 23-21 lead, but Utah State tallied the next three scores to reach set-point (24-23) first. While a serving error allowed Air Force to force extra time with a 24-all tie, Harvey and Keith teamed up for another block to help Air Force take the 26-24 win.
Kills from Keith and Galloway gave Air Force a 3-1 lead for the third time in as many sets, while scores from Markwardt and Harvey pushed the Falcons' advantage to three (5-2). Utah State pulled within one (6-5), before Air Force used a 7-1 run to establish a seven-point cushion (13-6). Markwardt and Harvey both tallied kills during that run, while Markwardt added an ace and Harvey assisted on a pair of blocks. Another stop by the freshman pushed the Falcons' lead to eight (15-7), while Juarez, the other half of that block, added a pair of kills to make the score 17-12. Utah State pulled within two (18-16) and refused Air Force another long scoring run. Keith and Messenger put down kills to give the Falcons a 22-19 lead, while two more Aggie errors and a successful challenge by the Falcons secured the 25-20 Air Force win.
The Falcons return to Cadet East Gym next week to close out the home portion of the delayed 2020 season with conference matches against Wyoming (March 25) and Boise State (March 27).
Team Stats
USAFA
USU
Kills
38
26
Errors
21
24
Attempts
106
109
Hitting %
.160
.018
Points
49
36
Assists
34
21
Aces
5
3
Blocks
6
7
Game Leaders
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
6
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/OPP
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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