Saturday, October 22
San Diego, CA
2:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
9-13 (1-9MW)
1
at
3
San Diego State
5-16 (3-7MW)
1
2
3
4
F
Air Force
21
29
16
16
1
San Diego State
25
27
25
25
3
Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Falcons Drop Road Match to San Diego State
10/22/2022 4:26:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Mac Russ tallied a career-high 13 kills on .481 hitting during Saturday's four-set match.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Air Force volleyball team dropped a 3-1 road decision to San Diego State this afternoon (Oct. 22) in San Diego. The Falcons opened the second half of the Mountain West season with a 21-25, 29-27, 16-25, 16-25 loss to the host Aztecs at Peterson Gym.
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Sophomore Mac Russ led the Falcons with a career-high 13 kills on .481 hitting, as she accounted committed no errors on 27 attempts. Senior Sarah Markwardt and sophomore Murphy Riggs each posted a pair of service aces, while junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer led the team with 31 assists. Classmate Joi Harvey registered a team-high four blocks, including one solo stop, while freshman Jordan Suan recorded a team-high 11 digs.
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Air Force and San Diego State traded the first 12 points of the match, with Air Force earning their set-leading points off scores from freshman Savanah Johnson (solo block, 1-0), Russ (kills at 2-1, 6-5), Harvey (kills at 3-2, 5-4) and senior BrookeLyn Messenger (kill at 4-3). The Aztecs tallied back-to-back points to take their first lead at 7-6 and used a 5-2 run to maintain the lead at the 12-11 mark. A solo stop from Harvey kept the Falcons within one at 13-14, while back-to-back strikes from Russ evened the score at 16. San Diego State pushed their advantage to three (20-17) following a 4-1 run and, despite a kill from Harvey and three SDSU errors that tied the set again at 21, San Diego State scored the final points for the 25-21 win.
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Reinkensmeyer opened the second set with a service ace, while a run that included a kill from junior Savannah Neal, back-to-back aces from Markwardt and a block from Messenger and Russ tied the set at five. The Aztecs retook the lead (7-5), while strikes from Messenger and Harvey helped Air Force tie the score at nine. Another strike by the senior gave Air Force the lead at 11-10, while the Falcons forced the Aztecs into several errors as the teams traded the next several scores for a 15-all tie. San Diego State scored the next four to take a 19-15 lead, but kills from Markwardt, Harvey and Russ – as well as a successful challenge from head coach Keith Barnett – tied the set at 21. Air Force took the lead off an ace from Riggs (22-21) and a kill from Reinkensmeyer (23-22). Air Force held off set-point for the Aztecs with a tying score at 24-24, while San Diego State held off three set-points for the Falcons at 25-, 26-, and 27-all. After the teams traded serving errors, ace from Messenger broke the back-and-forth scoring and secured the 29-27 win for Air Force.
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Johnson had a hand in the Falcons' first two points of the third set, as she registered a kill (1-1) and teamed up with Harvey for a block (2-4). A kill from Reinkensmeyer and another ace from Riggs kept Air Force within two (5-7), but three-straight points by the Aztecs saw the home team double-up the Falcons by a 10-5 margin. Air Force received kills from Russ, Johnson, Messenger and Reinkensmeyer, while a Harvey/Reinkensmeyer block put the Falcons in double figures (10-17). Three kills from Russ brought Air Force within five (15-20), but the Aztecs closed on a 5-1 run to take the set by a 25-16 margin.
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San Diego State scored the first seven points of the fourth set, before Markwardt halted the run with a kill. Russ put down another strike and teamed up with Johnson for a block, but Air Force went into its first timeout trailing 4-13. The pair added back-to-back kills out of the break (6-13), while Harvey scored the Falcons' next three points off two kills and a block with freshman Ashley Bible (9-15). Markwardt cut the deficit to five on the next play and added another kill, but San Diego State took the 25-16 win.
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Air Force kicks off the second half of the conference's home-and-home slate next week, when it hosts San Jose State (Thursday, Oct. 27) and Nevada (Saturday, Oct. 29) for rematches at the Academy.
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Sophomore Mac Russ led the Falcons with a career-high 13 kills on .481 hitting, as she accounted committed no errors on 27 attempts. Senior Sarah Markwardt and sophomore Murphy Riggs each posted a pair of service aces, while junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer led the team with 31 assists. Classmate Joi Harvey registered a team-high four blocks, including one solo stop, while freshman Jordan Suan recorded a team-high 11 digs.
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Air Force and San Diego State traded the first 12 points of the match, with Air Force earning their set-leading points off scores from freshman Savanah Johnson (solo block, 1-0), Russ (kills at 2-1, 6-5), Harvey (kills at 3-2, 5-4) and senior BrookeLyn Messenger (kill at 4-3). The Aztecs tallied back-to-back points to take their first lead at 7-6 and used a 5-2 run to maintain the lead at the 12-11 mark. A solo stop from Harvey kept the Falcons within one at 13-14, while back-to-back strikes from Russ evened the score at 16. San Diego State pushed their advantage to three (20-17) following a 4-1 run and, despite a kill from Harvey and three SDSU errors that tied the set again at 21, San Diego State scored the final points for the 25-21 win.
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Reinkensmeyer opened the second set with a service ace, while a run that included a kill from junior Savannah Neal, back-to-back aces from Markwardt and a block from Messenger and Russ tied the set at five. The Aztecs retook the lead (7-5), while strikes from Messenger and Harvey helped Air Force tie the score at nine. Another strike by the senior gave Air Force the lead at 11-10, while the Falcons forced the Aztecs into several errors as the teams traded the next several scores for a 15-all tie. San Diego State scored the next four to take a 19-15 lead, but kills from Markwardt, Harvey and Russ – as well as a successful challenge from head coach Keith Barnett – tied the set at 21. Air Force took the lead off an ace from Riggs (22-21) and a kill from Reinkensmeyer (23-22). Air Force held off set-point for the Aztecs with a tying score at 24-24, while San Diego State held off three set-points for the Falcons at 25-, 26-, and 27-all. After the teams traded serving errors, ace from Messenger broke the back-and-forth scoring and secured the 29-27 win for Air Force.
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Johnson had a hand in the Falcons' first two points of the third set, as she registered a kill (1-1) and teamed up with Harvey for a block (2-4). A kill from Reinkensmeyer and another ace from Riggs kept Air Force within two (5-7), but three-straight points by the Aztecs saw the home team double-up the Falcons by a 10-5 margin. Air Force received kills from Russ, Johnson, Messenger and Reinkensmeyer, while a Harvey/Reinkensmeyer block put the Falcons in double figures (10-17). Three kills from Russ brought Air Force within five (15-20), but the Aztecs closed on a 5-1 run to take the set by a 25-16 margin.
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San Diego State scored the first seven points of the fourth set, before Markwardt halted the run with a kill. Russ put down another strike and teamed up with Johnson for a block, but Air Force went into its first timeout trailing 4-13. The pair added back-to-back kills out of the break (6-13), while Harvey scored the Falcons' next three points off two kills and a block with freshman Ashley Bible (9-15). Markwardt cut the deficit to five on the next play and added another kill, but San Diego State took the 25-16 win.
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Air Force kicks off the second half of the conference's home-and-home slate next week, when it hosts San Jose State (Thursday, Oct. 27) and Nevada (Saturday, Oct. 29) for rematches at the Academy.
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Team Stats
AF
SDSU
Kills
41
65
Errors
14
23
Attempts
124
159
Hitting %
.218
.264
Points
55.0
82.0
Assists
38
60
Aces
6
8
Blocks
8.0
9.0
Game Leaders
Kills
8
Aces
2
Blocks
0
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
6
Aces
1
Blocks
1
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