Saturday, March 6
USAFA
4:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
5-5,5-5Mountain West
2
vs
3
Fresno State
5-3,5-3Mountain West
1
2
3
4
5
F
Fresno St.
23
25
22
25
24
3
Air Force
25
23
25
17
22
2
Falcons Drop Marathon to Fresno State
3/6/2021 9:01:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Air Force saw four players register double-digit kill totals on Saturday.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team dropped a tough five-set marathon to Fresno State this evening (March 6) at the Academy's Cadet East Gym. After splitting the first two sets with matching 25-23 tallies, the teams traded the next two sets (25-22 for Air Force in the third, 25-17 for Fresno State in the fourth), en route to an epic fifth-set that the Bulldogs eventually clinched 24-22 – a final score well beyond the traditional "first to 15" outcome of a deciding frame.
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The 112-point total is the sixth-largest single-match tally for Air Force since 25-point scoring began (2008).
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Junior Bailey Keith led the Falcons with 14 kills, while three others – classmate Vittoria Juarez (13), sophomore BrookeLyn Messenger (13), freshman Joi Harvey (12) – also recorded at least 10 kills.  Freshman Caroline Reinkensmeyer and senior Andi Ahlers both accounted for 26 assists, while also tallying double-digit dig totals (11 for Reinkensmeyer, 12 for Ahlers) to notch double-doubles. Senior Jordan Daniels led all players with a match-high 29 digs, while Messenger – one dig shy of a double-double – accounted for three of the team's four aces and Harvey collected seven blocks, including a solo stop.
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The two teams traded the opening points of the match, with Keith (1-1), Messenger (2-2) and Harvey (5-5) accounting for set-tying kills. The Bulldogs responded with seven of the next eight points to double up the Falcons 12-6. After benefitting from three Fresno State errors that brought Air Force within four at the 9-13 mark, Juarez took over, recording the next four points – one solo block, three kills – to tie the set at 13 and force the Bulldogs into a timeout. Fresno State scored the next three points – and five of the next seven – to go up 18-15, before Juarez added another score to pull Air Force within one (17-18). A kill from Messenger tied the set at 19, while another pair of scores from the sophomore gave the Falcons a 21-19 advantage and a kill from sophomore Sara Markwardt pushed their lead to three (22-19). Fresno State pulled within one at 24-23, but Keith registered the deciding kill to give Air Force the 25-23 win.
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Senior Cambria Galloway posted the Falcons' first point of the second set (1-2), while Harvey and Juarez combined for four-straight points to help Air Force roll to an early 7-4 lead. The pair each tallied a kill and teamed up for a block during that run, while Harvey also recorded her solo block. The Bulldogs evened the set at eight and the teams traded the next 10 points, with Fresno State finding the answer to every Air Force point. After tying the set at 13, the Bulldogs scored five of the next six to take a four-point lead (18-14). Messenger and Galloway put down kills to help Air Force tie the set at 18, while Keith (kill) and Juarez (block) added another pair of points to pull the Falcons within one (21-22). Keith and Harvey teamed up for a block that brought Air Force back within one at the 23-24 mark, but Fresno State clinched the set on the next point and evened the match by another 25-23 score.
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Air Force took the early 3-1 lead in the third off an ace from Messenger and a kill from Galloway, while a score from Juarez helped tie the score at five. Harvey and Keith teamed up for another block to even the set at six and start a 6-1 run by the Falcons (11-7) that included an ace from Daniels. Fresno State pulled within one at 15-14, but Juarez responded with back-to-back-to back kills to reestablish a four-point lead for the Falcons (18-14). Air Force maintained that lead following kills from Messenger and Harvey (20-16), another score from the sophomore (22-18) and a pair of kills from Messenger and Keith (24-20). The Bulldogs scored the next two points, but Markwardt put down the final point to secure the 25-22 win.
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Keith and Harvey each tallied a kill and teamed up for block during the opening plays of the fourth set that resulted in a 7-3 lead for the Falcons. Fresno State tied the set at seven and, although Messenger and Markwardt added tallies to break an eight-all score, the visitors rattled off five-straight points to take a 13-10 lead. Keith added a pair of kills, but another long scoring run by the Bulldogs pushed their lead out to seven (22-15). Harvey tallied a kill and teamed up with Keith for a block, but Fresno State once again evened the overall score with the 25-17 set victory.
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The fifth set started with a bang for Air Force, as the Falcons jumped out to a fast 4-1 lead behind two kills and a block from freshman Aaryn Scires. Keith, who assisted on the Scires block, added three kills to help Air Force hold a 6-3 advantage, but Fresno State responded with the next five points to go up 8-6. Back-to-back kills from Juarez tied the set at eight, but a 5-1 response from the Bulldogs put Fresno State at match-point with a four-point lead (14-10). Air Force used a kill and ace from Messenger, as well as another score from Scires, to tie the set at 14-all and force extra time. A Keith kill tied the set at 15, while Harvey added a kill to put Air Force at match-point (17-16). Fresno State responded with the next two scores (18-17), but Juarez put down a kill and assisted on a block with Harvey to return the advantage to the Falcons (19-18). Another two-point swing by Fresno State (20-19) was following by a set-tying kill from Messenger (20). Harvey tied the set at 21 and Messenger gave Air Force the lead on the next play (22-21), but Fresno State was the team to finally string together three-straight points and ended the marathon with the 24-22 win.
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Air Force, off next weekend for its scheduled bye, returns to conference action on March 19-20, when it travels to Logan, Utah, for a two-match series at Utah State. Â
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The 112-point total is the sixth-largest single-match tally for Air Force since 25-point scoring began (2008).
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Junior Bailey Keith led the Falcons with 14 kills, while three others – classmate Vittoria Juarez (13), sophomore BrookeLyn Messenger (13), freshman Joi Harvey (12) – also recorded at least 10 kills.  Freshman Caroline Reinkensmeyer and senior Andi Ahlers both accounted for 26 assists, while also tallying double-digit dig totals (11 for Reinkensmeyer, 12 for Ahlers) to notch double-doubles. Senior Jordan Daniels led all players with a match-high 29 digs, while Messenger – one dig shy of a double-double – accounted for three of the team's four aces and Harvey collected seven blocks, including a solo stop.
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The two teams traded the opening points of the match, with Keith (1-1), Messenger (2-2) and Harvey (5-5) accounting for set-tying kills. The Bulldogs responded with seven of the next eight points to double up the Falcons 12-6. After benefitting from three Fresno State errors that brought Air Force within four at the 9-13 mark, Juarez took over, recording the next four points – one solo block, three kills – to tie the set at 13 and force the Bulldogs into a timeout. Fresno State scored the next three points – and five of the next seven – to go up 18-15, before Juarez added another score to pull Air Force within one (17-18). A kill from Messenger tied the set at 19, while another pair of scores from the sophomore gave the Falcons a 21-19 advantage and a kill from sophomore Sara Markwardt pushed their lead to three (22-19). Fresno State pulled within one at 24-23, but Keith registered the deciding kill to give Air Force the 25-23 win.
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Senior Cambria Galloway posted the Falcons' first point of the second set (1-2), while Harvey and Juarez combined for four-straight points to help Air Force roll to an early 7-4 lead. The pair each tallied a kill and teamed up for a block during that run, while Harvey also recorded her solo block. The Bulldogs evened the set at eight and the teams traded the next 10 points, with Fresno State finding the answer to every Air Force point. After tying the set at 13, the Bulldogs scored five of the next six to take a four-point lead (18-14). Messenger and Galloway put down kills to help Air Force tie the set at 18, while Keith (kill) and Juarez (block) added another pair of points to pull the Falcons within one (21-22). Keith and Harvey teamed up for a block that brought Air Force back within one at the 23-24 mark, but Fresno State clinched the set on the next point and evened the match by another 25-23 score.
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Air Force took the early 3-1 lead in the third off an ace from Messenger and a kill from Galloway, while a score from Juarez helped tie the score at five. Harvey and Keith teamed up for another block to even the set at six and start a 6-1 run by the Falcons (11-7) that included an ace from Daniels. Fresno State pulled within one at 15-14, but Juarez responded with back-to-back-to back kills to reestablish a four-point lead for the Falcons (18-14). Air Force maintained that lead following kills from Messenger and Harvey (20-16), another score from the sophomore (22-18) and a pair of kills from Messenger and Keith (24-20). The Bulldogs scored the next two points, but Markwardt put down the final point to secure the 25-22 win.
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Keith and Harvey each tallied a kill and teamed up for block during the opening plays of the fourth set that resulted in a 7-3 lead for the Falcons. Fresno State tied the set at seven and, although Messenger and Markwardt added tallies to break an eight-all score, the visitors rattled off five-straight points to take a 13-10 lead. Keith added a pair of kills, but another long scoring run by the Bulldogs pushed their lead out to seven (22-15). Harvey tallied a kill and teamed up with Keith for a block, but Fresno State once again evened the overall score with the 25-17 set victory.
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The fifth set started with a bang for Air Force, as the Falcons jumped out to a fast 4-1 lead behind two kills and a block from freshman Aaryn Scires. Keith, who assisted on the Scires block, added three kills to help Air Force hold a 6-3 advantage, but Fresno State responded with the next five points to go up 8-6. Back-to-back kills from Juarez tied the set at eight, but a 5-1 response from the Bulldogs put Fresno State at match-point with a four-point lead (14-10). Air Force used a kill and ace from Messenger, as well as another score from Scires, to tie the set at 14-all and force extra time. A Keith kill tied the set at 15, while Harvey added a kill to put Air Force at match-point (17-16). Fresno State responded with the next two scores (18-17), but Juarez put down a kill and assisted on a block with Harvey to return the advantage to the Falcons (19-18). Another two-point swing by Fresno State (20-19) was following by a set-tying kill from Messenger (20). Harvey tied the set at 21 and Messenger gave Air Force the lead on the next play (22-21), but Fresno State was the team to finally string together three-straight points and ended the marathon with the 24-22 win.
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Air Force, off next weekend for its scheduled bye, returns to conference action on March 19-20, when it travels to Logan, Utah, for a two-match series at Utah State. Â
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Team Stats
Fresno
USAFA
Kills
65
64
Errors
30
31
Attempts
189
194
Hitting %
.185
.170
Points
88
79
Assists
61
60
Aces
10
4
Blocks
13
11
Game Leaders
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
13
Aces
3
Blocks
1
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
7
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
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/OPP
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