Thursday, September 30
Las Vegas, NV
7:30 pm MT
Air Force Academy
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at
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UNLV
Photo by: Josh Armstrong
Air Force Drops 3-1 Match at UNLV
9/30/2021 10:47:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Joi Harvey tallied a career-best 13 kills to lead the Falcons to a .316 hitting performance.
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The Air Force volleyball team hit over .300 for the second-straight conference contest – and improved its best DI conference performance to .316 – during a 3-1 road loss to UNLV this evening (Sept. 30) in Las Vegas. The Falcons outhit the Rebels by 28 points and recorded their third-highest single-match kill total of the season (50) during the 21-25, 27-25, 20-25, 18-25 loss at Cox Pavilion.
Sophomore Joi Harvey led the Falcons with a career-high 13 kills and .522 hitting, as she committed just one error on 23 swings. Freshman Mac Russ, who tallied a match-high four blocks (one solo, three assisted) also hit over .500 (7-1-11, .545), while sophomore Savannah Neal connected on three of her four attempts for a .750 performance. Junior BrookeLyn Messenger and senior Lily Landis accounted for the Falcons' two aces, while Landis (16) and sophomore Caroline Reinkensmeyer (20) combined for 36 of the team's 45 assists. Freshman Murphy Riggs, one of 10 Falcons to register a dig, tied for the match lead with nine.
Air Force jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead following a block (Reinkensmeyer, senior Bailey Keith) and a kill from junior Taleah Cooper. The Rebels evened the set at five, but Air Force responded with back-to-back scores from Harvey (kill) and Landis (ace) to take a two-point advantage at the 7-5 mark. Kills from Harvey (8-7) and Messenger (9-8) broke ties, while Harvey teamed up with Neal for back-to-back kills that pushed the Falcons' lead to three (12-9). UNLV scored five of the next six points to take a 14-13 lead, before Harvey tied the set with a kill on the next point. Air Force retook the lead at 15-14 off a kill from Keith, but the Rebels responded with six of the next eight scores to reach the 20-point plateau (20-17). Messenger tallied two more kills, while Cooper and classmate Sarah Markwardt each added one, but the Rebels took the opening set by a 25-21 margin.
The second set was all about runs, as both teams registered two long stretches of scoring. UNLV took the first run, jumping out to a 5-1 lead and maintaining a four-point margin at the 10-6 mark. A kill from Neal sparked a 9-3 run by the Falcons that tied the set at 12 and gave the Falcons' a two-point lead (15-13). Keith and Russ teamed up for a pair of blocks during Air Force's run, while Russ (two) and Keith also combined for three kills. The Falcons, hitting .400 at that point, also earned scores from Messenger and Markwardt in that stretch. UNLV followed the Falcons' run with an 8-1 streak of its own to take a 21-16 lead. Harvey put down a strike to start another Air Force run, as the Falcon scored seven of the next eight points – including kills from Messenger and Russ – to take a one-score advantage (23-22). The Rebels tied the set on the next point and the teams traded the next six points, with Air Force earning the advantage from Russ (24-23), Markwardt (25-24) and Harvey (26-25). Forcing the reigning player of the year into an attacking error on the next play secured the 27-25 victory for the Falcons.
Russ scored a pair of kills to tie the third set at two, while a strike from Markwardt evened the score at three. UNLV scored seven of the next nine points to take control of the set, as only a pair of scores from Harvey broke up the Rebels' scoring streak. Keith and sophomore Aaryn Scires added kills, but UNLV continued to produce points and pushed its advantage to eight at the 17-9 mark. Harvey scored the Falcons' next three points – including a pair of back-to-back strikes – and the Falcons earned kills from Scires and Messenger, but UNLV maintained a sizable lead at the 23-14 mark. A pair of kills from Keith bookended a Messenger ace, as the Falcons used a 6-1 run to cut into that deficit and pull within four (20-24), before the Rebels earned the final point for the 25-20 victory.
Russ and Markwardt teamed up for a set-opening block in the fourth, while Markwardt added a kill to tie the set at four. After a pair of UNLV attacking errors gave Air Force a 6-5 lead, the Rebels rattled off seven of the next eight points and took a five-point lead (12-7). Russ collected another kill, but UNLV extended its advantage to seven (17-10) and, eventually, eight (20-12). Five different Falcons – Scires, Messenger, Russ, Keith, Markwardt – added kills, but UNLV claimed the set by a 25-18 margin.
Air Force continues its West Coast tour on Saturday (Oct. 2), when it visits San Diego State at 1:00 pm (PT).
Sophomore Joi Harvey led the Falcons with a career-high 13 kills and .522 hitting, as she committed just one error on 23 swings. Freshman Mac Russ, who tallied a match-high four blocks (one solo, three assisted) also hit over .500 (7-1-11, .545), while sophomore Savannah Neal connected on three of her four attempts for a .750 performance. Junior BrookeLyn Messenger and senior Lily Landis accounted for the Falcons' two aces, while Landis (16) and sophomore Caroline Reinkensmeyer (20) combined for 36 of the team's 45 assists. Freshman Murphy Riggs, one of 10 Falcons to register a dig, tied for the match lead with nine.
Air Force jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead following a block (Reinkensmeyer, senior Bailey Keith) and a kill from junior Taleah Cooper. The Rebels evened the set at five, but Air Force responded with back-to-back scores from Harvey (kill) and Landis (ace) to take a two-point advantage at the 7-5 mark. Kills from Harvey (8-7) and Messenger (9-8) broke ties, while Harvey teamed up with Neal for back-to-back kills that pushed the Falcons' lead to three (12-9). UNLV scored five of the next six points to take a 14-13 lead, before Harvey tied the set with a kill on the next point. Air Force retook the lead at 15-14 off a kill from Keith, but the Rebels responded with six of the next eight scores to reach the 20-point plateau (20-17). Messenger tallied two more kills, while Cooper and classmate Sarah Markwardt each added one, but the Rebels took the opening set by a 25-21 margin.
The second set was all about runs, as both teams registered two long stretches of scoring. UNLV took the first run, jumping out to a 5-1 lead and maintaining a four-point margin at the 10-6 mark. A kill from Neal sparked a 9-3 run by the Falcons that tied the set at 12 and gave the Falcons' a two-point lead (15-13). Keith and Russ teamed up for a pair of blocks during Air Force's run, while Russ (two) and Keith also combined for three kills. The Falcons, hitting .400 at that point, also earned scores from Messenger and Markwardt in that stretch. UNLV followed the Falcons' run with an 8-1 streak of its own to take a 21-16 lead. Harvey put down a strike to start another Air Force run, as the Falcon scored seven of the next eight points – including kills from Messenger and Russ – to take a one-score advantage (23-22). The Rebels tied the set on the next point and the teams traded the next six points, with Air Force earning the advantage from Russ (24-23), Markwardt (25-24) and Harvey (26-25). Forcing the reigning player of the year into an attacking error on the next play secured the 27-25 victory for the Falcons.
Russ scored a pair of kills to tie the third set at two, while a strike from Markwardt evened the score at three. UNLV scored seven of the next nine points to take control of the set, as only a pair of scores from Harvey broke up the Rebels' scoring streak. Keith and sophomore Aaryn Scires added kills, but UNLV continued to produce points and pushed its advantage to eight at the 17-9 mark. Harvey scored the Falcons' next three points – including a pair of back-to-back strikes – and the Falcons earned kills from Scires and Messenger, but UNLV maintained a sizable lead at the 23-14 mark. A pair of kills from Keith bookended a Messenger ace, as the Falcons used a 6-1 run to cut into that deficit and pull within four (20-24), before the Rebels earned the final point for the 25-20 victory.
Russ and Markwardt teamed up for a set-opening block in the fourth, while Markwardt added a kill to tie the set at four. After a pair of UNLV attacking errors gave Air Force a 6-5 lead, the Rebels rattled off seven of the next eight points and took a five-point lead (12-7). Russ collected another kill, but UNLV extended its advantage to seven (17-10) and, eventually, eight (20-12). Five different Falcons – Scires, Messenger, Russ, Keith, Markwardt – added kills, but UNLV claimed the set by a 25-18 margin.
Air Force continues its West Coast tour on Saturday (Oct. 2), when it visits San Diego State at 1:00 pm (PT).
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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OH
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S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/OPP
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