Thursday, October 20
USAFA
6:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
3
vs
1
Fresno State
Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Air Force Downs Fresno State for MW Win
10/20/2022 10:09:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Joi Harvey led the Falcons with eight blocks and a career-high 17 kills.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball returned to its winning ways this evening (Oct. 20), as it downed Fresno State during a brief stopover at the Academy. After surrendering the opening set 25-21, the Falcons stormed back with straight 25-19, 25-19, 26-24 victories to improve to 5-5 at Cadet East Gym.
Junior Joi Harvey led the Falcons with a career-high 17 kills on .433 hitting, while senior BrookeLyn Messenger added 10 to help Air Force out-kill the visiting Bulldogs by a 51-40 margin. Backed by a career-high 12 digs from freshman Jordan Suan, as well as 11 from both senior Sarah Markwardt and sophomore Murphy Riggs, the Falcons out-dug Fresno State by a 56-31 margin – its largest advantage of the year. Harvey added eight blocks, including a pair of single-handed stops – a solo tally matched by Messenger. Markwardt accounted for two of the team's five aces and junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer, who tallied a career-best five blocks, recorded a match-high 42 assists to round out the Falcons' list of stat leaders.
Air Force jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead to open the match, as Messenger (two), Harvey, Markwardt and freshman Savanah Johnson all tallied kills. The Falcons pushed their advantage to five off a block from Reinkensmeyer and sophomore Mac Russ (8-3), while an ace from Markwardt maintained that margin (11-6). Russ and Johnson added kills, but the Bulldogs crept back to tie the set at 13. Air Force retook the lead on the next play off a kill from Messenger, while Markwardt (15) and Russ (17) accounted for set-tying plays. The Bulldogs broke the back-and-forth action to take a four-point lead (21-17) and, despite kills from Russ, Johnson and Messenger, took the opening set by a 25-21 margin.
The Falcons, who used posted another 5-1 start in the second, held the advantage throughout the entire set. After forcing the Bulldogs into three-straight attacking errors (4-0), Harvey recorded a kill and teamed up with Markwardt for a block to push Air Force's lead out to five (9-4). The Falcons maintained that advantage off a strike from Russ (11-6), before Johnson put down a kill to push the lead to six (13-7). Harvey tallied the Falcons' next three points (two kills, block with Reinkensmeyer) to extend the margin to eight (18-10), but Fresno State used a short run to pull within four (20-16). Harvey and junior Savannah Neal stopped the run and a kill from Messenger helped Air Force event the match with a 25-19 win.
Fresno State struck first in the third, but for the third-straight set, Johnson posted the Falcons' first offensive point – a kill that evened the set at one. Harvey added a pair of kills (2-1, 3-4), before Air Force strung together three straight blocks (Messenger solo, Harvey solo, Markwardt/Reinkensmeyer assisted) to tie the set at four and take a 6-4 lead. Harvey added two mores kills, while a strike from Reinkensmeyer and a Markwardt/Russ block forced the Bulldogs into a timeout with Air Force holding a 10-6 lead. Junior Madison Felker served up an ace coming out of the break, while a pair of kills from Russ pushed the Falcons' lead to seven (15-8). Air Force maintained its lead, as Messenger, Harvey and Markwardt all registered a pair of kills during the final minutes of the set and a service ace from Riggs secured the 25-19 victory for the Falcons.
Despite a kill from Harvey, the Bulldogs took the early 5-1 lead in the fourth. Messenger, Harvey and Markwardt brought the Falcons within one (5-6), while a pair of kills from Russ kept Air Force close (8-9). Reinkensmeyer scored on some misdirection (9-10), while the Falcons forced Fresno State into three-straight errors to take a 12-10 lead. After Fresno State evened the set at 14, the teams traded the next eight points, before a Reinkensmeyer ace broke the back-and-forth play and gave Air Force a two-point lead (19-17). Harvey, who teamed up with Johnson for a stop at the 22-19 mark, used a kill (23-22) and block with Reinkensmeyer (24-23) for tie-breaking points, while a strike from Russ gave Air Force the thrilling 26-24 win and its first conference victory of the season.
Air Force heads back out on the road this weekend for a contest at San Diego State on Saturday (Oct. 20).
Junior Joi Harvey led the Falcons with a career-high 17 kills on .433 hitting, while senior BrookeLyn Messenger added 10 to help Air Force out-kill the visiting Bulldogs by a 51-40 margin. Backed by a career-high 12 digs from freshman Jordan Suan, as well as 11 from both senior Sarah Markwardt and sophomore Murphy Riggs, the Falcons out-dug Fresno State by a 56-31 margin – its largest advantage of the year. Harvey added eight blocks, including a pair of single-handed stops – a solo tally matched by Messenger. Markwardt accounted for two of the team's five aces and junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer, who tallied a career-best five blocks, recorded a match-high 42 assists to round out the Falcons' list of stat leaders.
Air Force jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead to open the match, as Messenger (two), Harvey, Markwardt and freshman Savanah Johnson all tallied kills. The Falcons pushed their advantage to five off a block from Reinkensmeyer and sophomore Mac Russ (8-3), while an ace from Markwardt maintained that margin (11-6). Russ and Johnson added kills, but the Bulldogs crept back to tie the set at 13. Air Force retook the lead on the next play off a kill from Messenger, while Markwardt (15) and Russ (17) accounted for set-tying plays. The Bulldogs broke the back-and-forth action to take a four-point lead (21-17) and, despite kills from Russ, Johnson and Messenger, took the opening set by a 25-21 margin.
The Falcons, who used posted another 5-1 start in the second, held the advantage throughout the entire set. After forcing the Bulldogs into three-straight attacking errors (4-0), Harvey recorded a kill and teamed up with Markwardt for a block to push Air Force's lead out to five (9-4). The Falcons maintained that advantage off a strike from Russ (11-6), before Johnson put down a kill to push the lead to six (13-7). Harvey tallied the Falcons' next three points (two kills, block with Reinkensmeyer) to extend the margin to eight (18-10), but Fresno State used a short run to pull within four (20-16). Harvey and junior Savannah Neal stopped the run and a kill from Messenger helped Air Force event the match with a 25-19 win.
Fresno State struck first in the third, but for the third-straight set, Johnson posted the Falcons' first offensive point – a kill that evened the set at one. Harvey added a pair of kills (2-1, 3-4), before Air Force strung together three straight blocks (Messenger solo, Harvey solo, Markwardt/Reinkensmeyer assisted) to tie the set at four and take a 6-4 lead. Harvey added two mores kills, while a strike from Reinkensmeyer and a Markwardt/Russ block forced the Bulldogs into a timeout with Air Force holding a 10-6 lead. Junior Madison Felker served up an ace coming out of the break, while a pair of kills from Russ pushed the Falcons' lead to seven (15-8). Air Force maintained its lead, as Messenger, Harvey and Markwardt all registered a pair of kills during the final minutes of the set and a service ace from Riggs secured the 25-19 victory for the Falcons.
Despite a kill from Harvey, the Bulldogs took the early 5-1 lead in the fourth. Messenger, Harvey and Markwardt brought the Falcons within one (5-6), while a pair of kills from Russ kept Air Force close (8-9). Reinkensmeyer scored on some misdirection (9-10), while the Falcons forced Fresno State into three-straight errors to take a 12-10 lead. After Fresno State evened the set at 14, the teams traded the next eight points, before a Reinkensmeyer ace broke the back-and-forth play and gave Air Force a two-point lead (19-17). Harvey, who teamed up with Johnson for a stop at the 22-19 mark, used a kill (23-22) and block with Reinkensmeyer (24-23) for tie-breaking points, while a strike from Russ gave Air Force the thrilling 26-24 win and its first conference victory of the season.
Air Force heads back out on the road this weekend for a contest at San Diego State on Saturday (Oct. 20).
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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DS/L
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