Saturday, November 19
USAFA
1:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
15-15,7-11Mountain West
3
vs
1
Utah State
19-10,11-7Mountain West
1
2
3
4
F
Utah St.
22
33
22
23
1
Air Force
25
31
25
25
3
Photo by: Mary Ginsbach
Air Force Caps Season with Win Over Utah State
11/19/2022 7:17:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Falcons collected their program-record seventh Mountain West victory of the year.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team capped its season with an impressive 3-1 victory over Utah State this afternoon (Nov. 19) at Cadet East Gym, downing the visiting Aggies in 25-22, 31-33, 25-22, 25-23 sets. Winning a thriller that included 48 ties and 17 lead changes, the Falcons matched their highest total of Division I conference wins (seven), tallied their most overall victories (15) since 2018 and recorded their fourth .500-or-better record at the Division I level (15-15).
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Junior Joi Harvey (16) and the senior duo of BrookeLyn Messenger (15) and Sarah Markwardt (11) combined for 42 of the team's 61 kills, with Harvey hitting .600 (16-1-25) and Messenger scoring at a .448 clip (15-2-29). Harvey and sophomore Ella Tschuor posted four blocks apiece (all assisted), while sophomore Mac Russ added three (one solo, two assisted) to help Air Force out-block the Aggies 8-6.
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Junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer reached the 50-assist mark for the third time this season, as she tallied a career-high 52 helpers during the four-set match and was one of three Falcons to record double-digit dig totals. Messenger tallied a team-high 15 digs for the 13th double-double of her career, while Reinkensmeyer added 12 for her 12th double-double. The quartet of Markwardt, Messenger, sophomore Murphy Riggs and freshman Jordan Suan capped the Falcons' stat leaders with one service ace apiece.
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Utah State jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead, before a pair of kills from sophomore Ella Tschuor, an ace from Riggs and a kill from Russ tied the set at five. The teams continued to trade the next few points, with Air Force receiving set-tying scores from Russ (solo block at 7-7), Tschuor (kill at 8-8) and several Aggie errors. A strike from Messenger gave Air Force a 13-12 lead before the back-and-forth play continued. After registering a kill that tied the set at 17, Markwardt added the next three scores to give Air Force a two-point lead at 19-17, 20-18 and 21-19. Tschuor scored the next two Air Force points, while a pair of scores from Messenger (kill, block with Russ) gave the Falcons a 25-22 win.
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Harvey tallied a pair of kills to start the second, while strikes from Messenger, Russ and Messenger pushed Air Force to a 6-3 lead. The Aggies scored seven of the next eight to take a 7-10 lead, before a kill from Markwardt and back-to-back blocks from Harvey and Tschuor tied the set at 10. Tschuor (12-12), Harvey (13-13) and Russ (14-14) posted set-tying kills, but Utah State took an advantage out to three at the 20-17 mark. Air Force scored the next three points (two Harvey kills, one Tschuor kill) to tie the set at 20, while another Harvey strike tied the set at 22. Utah State reached set-point at 24-23, but Air Force responded, and the teams traded the next eight set-points before the Aggies strung together three-straight points for the 33-31 victory – the team's highest scoring set of the season.
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Tschuor had a hand in three of the Falcons' first four points to start the third set, tallying two kills and a block with Harvey (4-3), while a pair of kills from both Messenger and Harvey kept Air Force in the lead. Markwardt served up an ace to push the advantage to three (12-9), while two more kills from Messenger kept that advantage for the Falcons (13-10, 15-12). The Aggies tied the set at 17, before Markwardt added kills to break a pair of ties (18-17, 19-18). Harvey and Messenger added kills, while another strike from the senior secured the 25-22 victory for the Falcons.
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The Aggies took a 4-1 lead to start the fourth set, while scores from Harvey (kill), Russ (kill) and Messenger (ace) pulled the Falcons within one at the 5-6 mark. Benefitting from four Utah State errors, Air Force took a 9-7 lead. The teams traded points, with the seniors combining for five of the Falcons' six points during that run (three kills for Messenger, two kills for Markwardt). The Aggies took an 18-17 lead following three-straight scores, but Harvey (two kills), Russ (kill) and Suan (ace) highlighted a 4-1 run by the Falcons that flipped the advantage back to Air Force (21-19). Messenger added a kill and a strike by Harvey secured Air Force's 25-23 victory.
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Air Force finished the 2022 campaign with a 15-15 record and a 7-11 mark in conference play. The 15 overall wins are the second-highest win total in Air Force's Division I history, while the seven Mountain West wins is tied for the program's most conference wins at the DI level.
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Junior Joi Harvey (16) and the senior duo of BrookeLyn Messenger (15) and Sarah Markwardt (11) combined for 42 of the team's 61 kills, with Harvey hitting .600 (16-1-25) and Messenger scoring at a .448 clip (15-2-29). Harvey and sophomore Ella Tschuor posted four blocks apiece (all assisted), while sophomore Mac Russ added three (one solo, two assisted) to help Air Force out-block the Aggies 8-6.
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Junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer reached the 50-assist mark for the third time this season, as she tallied a career-high 52 helpers during the four-set match and was one of three Falcons to record double-digit dig totals. Messenger tallied a team-high 15 digs for the 13th double-double of her career, while Reinkensmeyer added 12 for her 12th double-double. The quartet of Markwardt, Messenger, sophomore Murphy Riggs and freshman Jordan Suan capped the Falcons' stat leaders with one service ace apiece.
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Utah State jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead, before a pair of kills from sophomore Ella Tschuor, an ace from Riggs and a kill from Russ tied the set at five. The teams continued to trade the next few points, with Air Force receiving set-tying scores from Russ (solo block at 7-7), Tschuor (kill at 8-8) and several Aggie errors. A strike from Messenger gave Air Force a 13-12 lead before the back-and-forth play continued. After registering a kill that tied the set at 17, Markwardt added the next three scores to give Air Force a two-point lead at 19-17, 20-18 and 21-19. Tschuor scored the next two Air Force points, while a pair of scores from Messenger (kill, block with Russ) gave the Falcons a 25-22 win.
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Harvey tallied a pair of kills to start the second, while strikes from Messenger, Russ and Messenger pushed Air Force to a 6-3 lead. The Aggies scored seven of the next eight to take a 7-10 lead, before a kill from Markwardt and back-to-back blocks from Harvey and Tschuor tied the set at 10. Tschuor (12-12), Harvey (13-13) and Russ (14-14) posted set-tying kills, but Utah State took an advantage out to three at the 20-17 mark. Air Force scored the next three points (two Harvey kills, one Tschuor kill) to tie the set at 20, while another Harvey strike tied the set at 22. Utah State reached set-point at 24-23, but Air Force responded, and the teams traded the next eight set-points before the Aggies strung together three-straight points for the 33-31 victory – the team's highest scoring set of the season.
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Tschuor had a hand in three of the Falcons' first four points to start the third set, tallying two kills and a block with Harvey (4-3), while a pair of kills from both Messenger and Harvey kept Air Force in the lead. Markwardt served up an ace to push the advantage to three (12-9), while two more kills from Messenger kept that advantage for the Falcons (13-10, 15-12). The Aggies tied the set at 17, before Markwardt added kills to break a pair of ties (18-17, 19-18). Harvey and Messenger added kills, while another strike from the senior secured the 25-22 victory for the Falcons.
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The Aggies took a 4-1 lead to start the fourth set, while scores from Harvey (kill), Russ (kill) and Messenger (ace) pulled the Falcons within one at the 5-6 mark. Benefitting from four Utah State errors, Air Force took a 9-7 lead. The teams traded points, with the seniors combining for five of the Falcons' six points during that run (three kills for Messenger, two kills for Markwardt). The Aggies took an 18-17 lead following three-straight scores, but Harvey (two kills), Russ (kill) and Suan (ace) highlighted a 4-1 run by the Falcons that flipped the advantage back to Air Force (21-19). Messenger added a kill and a strike by Harvey secured Air Force's 25-23 victory.
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Air Force finished the 2022 campaign with a 15-15 record and a 7-11 mark in conference play. The 15 overall wins are the second-highest win total in Air Force's Division I history, while the seven Mountain West wins is tied for the program's most conference wins at the DI level.
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Team Stats
USU
USAFA
Kills
64
61
Errors
28
14
Attempts
165
145
Hitting %
.218
.324
Points
78
73
Assists
56
57
Aces
8
4
Blocks
6
8
Game Leaders
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
15
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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