Friday, August 27
DeKalb, IL
11:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
0-1,0-0Mountain West
2
vs
3
CSU Bakersfield
1-0,0-0Big West
1
2
3
4
5
F
Air Force
15
25
25
24
8
2
CSU Bakersfield
25
18
21
26
15
3
Photo by: Josh Armstrong
Falcons Suffer 3-2 Setback in Season Opener
8/27/2021 4:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Joi Harvey recorded her first double-double with 11 kills and 10 blocks.
DEKALB, Ill. – The Air Force volleyball suffered a 3-2 setback to CSU Bakersfield this afternoon (Aug. 27), as it opened the 2021 campaign at the Huskie Invitational. With a relatively young lineup, the Falcons fell 15-25, 25-18, 25-21, 24-26, 8-15 to the Roadrunners in their first neutral-site match since 2019.
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Sophomore Joi Harvey and senior Bailey Keith led Air Force will 11 kills apiece, while Harvey also accounted for a match-leading 10 blocks (career-high two solo, career-high eight assisted). Sophomore Allie Griffith, in her first appearance at libero, accounted for 21 digs, while classmate Caroline Reinkensmeyer collected 24 assists in her first match as the Falcons' starting setter. Senior Abigail Collins, who added 17 helpers to Air Force's offense, rounded out the team's stat leaders with three service aces.
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Freshman Ella Tschuor earned the first offensive point of the season for Air Force, as she put down a kill that evened the opening set at two. The first-year Falcon added another score at the 3-4 mark, but the Roadrunners scored eight of the next 10 points to take a 12-5 lead. Sophomore Savannah Neal (kill) and junior BrookeLyn Messenger (ace) accounted for the two Air Force points during that run, while CSU Bakersfield used another 8-2 run to push its lead out to 20-7. Harvey and Keith teamed up for a block that stopped the run, while a pair of attacking errors put the Falcons in double figures (10-20). Harvey scored three-straight points for the Falcons, putting down a kill, assisted block (Neal) and solo block, while adding another kill at the 14-24 mark. Collins recorded her first ace following Harvey's second kill, but CSU Bakersfield captured the final point for the 10-point win (15-25).
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Another ace from Collins helped Air Force take a quick 3-1 lead to start the second set, while a kill from freshman Mac Russ evened the set at four after a three-point swing by the Roadrunners. Following a kill from Keith to tie the set at five, the teams traded the lead over the next few points, with Tschuor (7-6) and Harvey/Keith (8-7) accounting for Air Force scores. A kill from Harvey pushed the Falcons' advantage to two (10-8), but CSU Bakersfield responded with five of the next six points to take its own two-point lead (13-11). Russ stopped the run with another kill, while a pair of CSUB errors and a Keith kill returned the lead to Air Force (15-14) at the media timeout. The senior added another pair of scores to the Falcons' cause (17-15, 19-16), while Messenger put down a kill that extended Air Force's lead to five (21-16). Tschuor and Neal added scores and the Falcons evened the match at one with the 25-18 victory.
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Harvey and Tschuor had a hand in four of the Falcons' first six points of the third set, as Harvey recorded a kill, Tschuor served up an ace, and the pair teamed up for a two blocks that gave Air Force a 6-3 lead. Backed by a pair of three-point runs – and aces from Collins and Messenger – the Falcons doubled up the Roadrunners by a 12-6 margin. CSU Bakersfield pulled within two at the 17-15 mark, but kills from Keith and Messenger, as well as back-to-back aces from Griffith, pushed the Falcons' advantage out to five (21-16). The Roadrunners closed the gap again (21-19), but Russ put down a kill to stop the run. Harvey and Keith added scores, while a set-winning kill from Tschuor secured the 25-21 win for Air Force.
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Although the fourth set started with back-and-fourth action that saw a tie at four-all, CSU Bakersfield scored 10 of the next 12 points to take a 14-6 advantage and cause Air Force to use both of its timeouts. Keith and Harvey teamed up for a block to stop the run, while kills from Tschuor and senior Vittoria Juarez helped cut the deficit to five (12-17). The Falcons scored six of the next seven points, with three kills (Collins, junior Taleah Cooper, Keith) and two blocks (Keith/Tschuor, Keith/Harvey) helped Air Force pull within two (19-21). Three-straight kills from Harvey (two) and Messenger (one) tied the set at 22, while Air Force took a 23-22 lead following an attacking error by the Roadrunners. Harvey added her second solo block at the 24-23 mark, but CSU Bakersfield scored the final three points for the 26-24 win.
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Air Force found itself in an early deficit to start the deciding set, as the Roadrunners scored the first four points and jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead. The Falcons received kills from Harvey, Messenger, Tschuor and Keith to pull within four (8-12), but CSU scored the final three points for the 15-8 victory.
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The Falcons return to Victor E. Court tomorrow (Aug. 28) to close out the Huskie Invitational with a doubleheader against William and Mary (10:00 a.m. CT) and host Northern Illinois (2:00 p.m. CT).
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Sophomore Joi Harvey and senior Bailey Keith led Air Force will 11 kills apiece, while Harvey also accounted for a match-leading 10 blocks (career-high two solo, career-high eight assisted). Sophomore Allie Griffith, in her first appearance at libero, accounted for 21 digs, while classmate Caroline Reinkensmeyer collected 24 assists in her first match as the Falcons' starting setter. Senior Abigail Collins, who added 17 helpers to Air Force's offense, rounded out the team's stat leaders with three service aces.
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Freshman Ella Tschuor earned the first offensive point of the season for Air Force, as she put down a kill that evened the opening set at two. The first-year Falcon added another score at the 3-4 mark, but the Roadrunners scored eight of the next 10 points to take a 12-5 lead. Sophomore Savannah Neal (kill) and junior BrookeLyn Messenger (ace) accounted for the two Air Force points during that run, while CSU Bakersfield used another 8-2 run to push its lead out to 20-7. Harvey and Keith teamed up for a block that stopped the run, while a pair of attacking errors put the Falcons in double figures (10-20). Harvey scored three-straight points for the Falcons, putting down a kill, assisted block (Neal) and solo block, while adding another kill at the 14-24 mark. Collins recorded her first ace following Harvey's second kill, but CSU Bakersfield captured the final point for the 10-point win (15-25).
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Another ace from Collins helped Air Force take a quick 3-1 lead to start the second set, while a kill from freshman Mac Russ evened the set at four after a three-point swing by the Roadrunners. Following a kill from Keith to tie the set at five, the teams traded the lead over the next few points, with Tschuor (7-6) and Harvey/Keith (8-7) accounting for Air Force scores. A kill from Harvey pushed the Falcons' advantage to two (10-8), but CSU Bakersfield responded with five of the next six points to take its own two-point lead (13-11). Russ stopped the run with another kill, while a pair of CSUB errors and a Keith kill returned the lead to Air Force (15-14) at the media timeout. The senior added another pair of scores to the Falcons' cause (17-15, 19-16), while Messenger put down a kill that extended Air Force's lead to five (21-16). Tschuor and Neal added scores and the Falcons evened the match at one with the 25-18 victory.
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Harvey and Tschuor had a hand in four of the Falcons' first six points of the third set, as Harvey recorded a kill, Tschuor served up an ace, and the pair teamed up for a two blocks that gave Air Force a 6-3 lead. Backed by a pair of three-point runs – and aces from Collins and Messenger – the Falcons doubled up the Roadrunners by a 12-6 margin. CSU Bakersfield pulled within two at the 17-15 mark, but kills from Keith and Messenger, as well as back-to-back aces from Griffith, pushed the Falcons' advantage out to five (21-16). The Roadrunners closed the gap again (21-19), but Russ put down a kill to stop the run. Harvey and Keith added scores, while a set-winning kill from Tschuor secured the 25-21 win for Air Force.
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Although the fourth set started with back-and-fourth action that saw a tie at four-all, CSU Bakersfield scored 10 of the next 12 points to take a 14-6 advantage and cause Air Force to use both of its timeouts. Keith and Harvey teamed up for a block to stop the run, while kills from Tschuor and senior Vittoria Juarez helped cut the deficit to five (12-17). The Falcons scored six of the next seven points, with three kills (Collins, junior Taleah Cooper, Keith) and two blocks (Keith/Tschuor, Keith/Harvey) helped Air Force pull within two (19-21). Three-straight kills from Harvey (two) and Messenger (one) tied the set at 22, while Air Force took a 23-22 lead following an attacking error by the Roadrunners. Harvey added her second solo block at the 24-23 mark, but CSU Bakersfield scored the final three points for the 26-24 win.
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Air Force found itself in an early deficit to start the deciding set, as the Roadrunners scored the first four points and jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead. The Falcons received kills from Harvey, Messenger, Tschuor and Keith to pull within four (8-12), but CSU scored the final three points for the 15-8 victory.
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The Falcons return to Victor E. Court tomorrow (Aug. 28) to close out the Huskie Invitational with a doubleheader against William and Mary (10:00 a.m. CT) and host Northern Illinois (2:00 p.m. CT).
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Team Stats
USAFA
CSUB
Kills
49
53
Errors
23
32
Attempts
138
146
Hitting %
.188
.144
Points
70
70
Assists
46
49
Aces
8
14
Blocks
13
3
Game Leaders
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
10
Kills
9
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
5
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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