Thursday, November 10
Laramie, WY
5:30 pm MT
Air Force Academy
13-14,5-10Mountain West
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Wyoming
10-17,6-9Mountain West
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Air Force
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Wyoming
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Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Air Force Downs Wyoming in Five-Set Thriller
11/10/2022 9:38:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Falcons' five-set comeback marked the team's first win in Laramie since 2003.
LARAMIE, Wyo. – The Air Force volleyball team picked up a thrilling five-set victory over Wyoming this evening (Nov. 10) in Laramie. After finding themselves with an 0-2 deficit (17-25, 18-25), the Falcons roared back with 25-16, 25-23, 15-7 victories for their eighth victory in the all-time series.
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It is the Falcons' first win at the UniWyo Sports Complex since 2003 – and just the third win ever on the Cowgirls' home court.
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A trio of Falcons recorded double-digit kill totals, while Air Force outhit Wyoming by 115 points (.265-.182). Junior Joi Harvey led the Falcons with 16 kills, while sophomores Mac Russ and Ella Tschuor accounted for totals of 12 and 10, respectively. Harvey also posted a match-high five blocks (two solo, three assisted), while Russ hit at a team-high .458 average (12-1-24). Junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer matched her career high with the second 50-assist contest of her career and senior BrookeLyn Messenger led the team in aces (three) and digs (16).
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Tschuor opened the Falcons' scoring with a solo block (1-1), while a pair of kills from Russ negated a quick run by the Cowgirls and pulled Air Force within one at the 4-5 mark. Back-to-back kills from Harvey, as well as a strike from Messenger, tied the set at eight. Air Force kept the score even at nine following a kill from senior Sarah Markwardt, but Wyoming scored five of the next seven points to take a three-point lead (14-11) and force Air Force into a timeout. Markwardt added another pair of kills to bring the Falcons within two (13-15), but the Cowgirls used an 8-1 run to pull away and ultimately take the first set by a 25-17 score.
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Another solo block highlighted the Falcons' first point, as Messenger got a huge putback to open the second set. The senior added a kill and a successful challenge from head coach Keith Barnett gave the Falcons a 3-1 lead. Wyoming tied the set at five and used a 6-2 run to take an 11-8 advantage. A trio of kills from Tschuor and Messenger (two) cut the Falcons' deficit to 11-13, but the Cowgirls pulled ahead with a 7-2 run that was only broken up by kills from Russ and Harvey. The pair added another set of kills – and Messenger registered her second solo stop of the set – but Wyoming won the set, 25-18.
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Freshman Ashley Bible opened the third set with a kill and added an ace as Air Force jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead. Messenger, who teamed up with Harvey for a block during the initial run, added a kill as the Falcons' maintained a three-point advantage (5-2). Wyoming pulled with one (6-5), but the Falcons retook the three-point lead (9-6) following another successful challenge from Barnett and a pair of kills from Russ. A block from Harvey and Reinkensmeyer pushed the Falcons' advantage to four (10-6) on the next play and sent Wyoming into a timeout. A pair of attacking errors by the Cowgirls bookended a Reinkensmeyer kill that sent Wyoming back to the bench trailing 13-7. The Falcons continued to force the Cowgirls into errors, while kills from Russ and Bible helped Air Force reach the 20-point plateau (20-13). Harvey tallied a kill and solo block, while a pair of scores from Bible secured the Falcons' 25-16 win.
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Kills from Bible and Harvey helped Air Force post another 4-1 start in the fourth, while scores from Tschuor (6-3) and Russ (7-5) kept the Falcons in the lead. A kill and ace from Messenger pushed Air Force's advantage out to five (11-6) and sent Wyoming into a timeout. Back-to-back strikes from Bible and Reinkensmeyer pushed the advantage out to six (13-7), but Wyoming roared back to tie the set at 14. Tschuor and Harvey combined for the next three points (one kill each, assisted block) to halt the Cowgirls' run. Tschuor added a solo stop and Russ tallied a kill, but Wyoming used a 4-1 run to even the set at 20. Russ and Reinkensmeyer broke the tie with a block, while Harvey accounted for the Falcons' final three points (all kills), as Air Force evened the match with a 25-23 win.
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A pair of service aces from Messenger and a solo block from Harvey helped Air Force take a fast 6-1 lead to start the deciding set, while kills from Russ and Harvey had the Falcons leading 8-3 at the switch. Wyoming pulled within four at the 9-5 mark, but Air Force put its foot down and another Russ/Reinkensmeyer block sparked a set-closing 8-2 run by the Falcons. Messenger, Harvey and Russ tallied kills as Air Force gained two points to every Wyoming one and a strike from Tschuor secured the 15-7 set win and the 3-2 match win – just the third Air Force win ever at the UniWyo Sports Complex.
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Air Force closes out the road portion of the season on Saturday, Nov. 12, when it heads to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State at noon inside Moby Arena.
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It is the Falcons' first win at the UniWyo Sports Complex since 2003 – and just the third win ever on the Cowgirls' home court.
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A trio of Falcons recorded double-digit kill totals, while Air Force outhit Wyoming by 115 points (.265-.182). Junior Joi Harvey led the Falcons with 16 kills, while sophomores Mac Russ and Ella Tschuor accounted for totals of 12 and 10, respectively. Harvey also posted a match-high five blocks (two solo, three assisted), while Russ hit at a team-high .458 average (12-1-24). Junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer matched her career high with the second 50-assist contest of her career and senior BrookeLyn Messenger led the team in aces (three) and digs (16).
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Tschuor opened the Falcons' scoring with a solo block (1-1), while a pair of kills from Russ negated a quick run by the Cowgirls and pulled Air Force within one at the 4-5 mark. Back-to-back kills from Harvey, as well as a strike from Messenger, tied the set at eight. Air Force kept the score even at nine following a kill from senior Sarah Markwardt, but Wyoming scored five of the next seven points to take a three-point lead (14-11) and force Air Force into a timeout. Markwardt added another pair of kills to bring the Falcons within two (13-15), but the Cowgirls used an 8-1 run to pull away and ultimately take the first set by a 25-17 score.
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Another solo block highlighted the Falcons' first point, as Messenger got a huge putback to open the second set. The senior added a kill and a successful challenge from head coach Keith Barnett gave the Falcons a 3-1 lead. Wyoming tied the set at five and used a 6-2 run to take an 11-8 advantage. A trio of kills from Tschuor and Messenger (two) cut the Falcons' deficit to 11-13, but the Cowgirls pulled ahead with a 7-2 run that was only broken up by kills from Russ and Harvey. The pair added another set of kills – and Messenger registered her second solo stop of the set – but Wyoming won the set, 25-18.
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Freshman Ashley Bible opened the third set with a kill and added an ace as Air Force jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead. Messenger, who teamed up with Harvey for a block during the initial run, added a kill as the Falcons' maintained a three-point advantage (5-2). Wyoming pulled with one (6-5), but the Falcons retook the three-point lead (9-6) following another successful challenge from Barnett and a pair of kills from Russ. A block from Harvey and Reinkensmeyer pushed the Falcons' advantage to four (10-6) on the next play and sent Wyoming into a timeout. A pair of attacking errors by the Cowgirls bookended a Reinkensmeyer kill that sent Wyoming back to the bench trailing 13-7. The Falcons continued to force the Cowgirls into errors, while kills from Russ and Bible helped Air Force reach the 20-point plateau (20-13). Harvey tallied a kill and solo block, while a pair of scores from Bible secured the Falcons' 25-16 win.
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Kills from Bible and Harvey helped Air Force post another 4-1 start in the fourth, while scores from Tschuor (6-3) and Russ (7-5) kept the Falcons in the lead. A kill and ace from Messenger pushed Air Force's advantage out to five (11-6) and sent Wyoming into a timeout. Back-to-back strikes from Bible and Reinkensmeyer pushed the advantage out to six (13-7), but Wyoming roared back to tie the set at 14. Tschuor and Harvey combined for the next three points (one kill each, assisted block) to halt the Cowgirls' run. Tschuor added a solo stop and Russ tallied a kill, but Wyoming used a 4-1 run to even the set at 20. Russ and Reinkensmeyer broke the tie with a block, while Harvey accounted for the Falcons' final three points (all kills), as Air Force evened the match with a 25-23 win.
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A pair of service aces from Messenger and a solo block from Harvey helped Air Force take a fast 6-1 lead to start the deciding set, while kills from Russ and Harvey had the Falcons leading 8-3 at the switch. Wyoming pulled within four at the 9-5 mark, but Air Force put its foot down and another Russ/Reinkensmeyer block sparked a set-closing 8-2 run by the Falcons. Messenger, Harvey and Russ tallied kills as Air Force gained two points to every Wyoming one and a strike from Tschuor secured the 15-7 set win and the 3-2 match win – just the third Air Force win ever at the UniWyo Sports Complex.
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Air Force closes out the road portion of the season on Saturday, Nov. 12, when it heads to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State at noon inside Moby Arena.
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Team Stats
USAFA
UW
Kills
58
56
Errors
18
28
Attempts
151
154
Hitting %
.265
.182
Points
73
66
Assists
55
55
Aces
4
5
Blocks
11
5
Game Leaders
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
8
Aces
3
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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