Saturday, August 27
USAFA
7:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
3-0,0-0Mountain West
3
vs
2
Drake
2-1,0-0MVC
1
2
3
4
5
F
Drake
25
20
25
25
13
2
Air Force
19
25
21
27
15
3
Air Force Wins Tournament with Five-Set Thriller
8/27/2022 11:12:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Joi Harvey and BrookeLyn Messenger were named to the all-tournament team.
 USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team capped the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic with a thrilling five-set victory over previously unbeaten Drake on Saturday (Aug. 27) at the Academy's Cadet East Gym. With the 19-25, 25-20, 21-25, 27-25, 15-13 comeback, the Falcons won their home tournament and improved to 3-0 on the opening weekend.
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Four Falcons posted double-digit kill totals, while the squad had another impressive outing on the block. Senior BrookeLyn Messenger and junior Aaryn Scires led the Falcons with 13 kills apiece, while junior Joi Harvey tallied 11 and senior Sarah Markwardt added 10 – in the final two sets – during a match-high .556 hitting performance. Harvey collected her second double-double of the day, as she produced a match-best 10 blocks (all assisted). Scires and sophomore Mac Russ both tallied six blocks, as Air Force out-blocked the Bulldogs by a 17-10 margin. Messenger served up three of the team's seven aces and collected her own double-double with an 11-dig performance. Sophomore Murphy Riggs led the team with 13 digs, while junior Amber Soto rounded out the team's stat leaders with a career-high 32-assist outing.
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Despite an early kill from Harvey, Drake jumped out to a fast 8-2 lead that sent the Falcons into a quick timeout. Scires tallied three of the Falcons' next four points (6-11), but a four-point run by the Bulldogs caused Air Force to use its second timeout at the 6-15 mark. Scires tallied another score coming out of the break, sparking a 4-0 run by Air Force that included a Messenger/Russ block and a pair of kills from sophomore Ella Tschuor. Air Force cut its deficit to five (10-15) during that run, while two Harvey Kills and back-to-back blocks from Russ and Messenger pulled Air Force within four (16-20). Russ added two more kills, but Drake took the opening set by a 25-19 margin.
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Air Force and Drake traded the opening points of the second set, with Tschuor (1-1), Harvey (2-2), Scires (3-3) and Messenger (4-4) providing the set-tying kills. The senior teamed up with Russ for a block that ended the back-and-forth play, while kills from Russ and Tschuor bookended an ace by junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer that gave Air Force an 8-5 lead. The Falcons pushed their lead to five (14-9) following four-straight points from Scires and Russ, who combined for three kills and teamed up for a block. The former added another score at 15-10, while Tschuor (kill) and Reinkensmeyer (ace) pushed the Falcons' lead to six (18-12). Harvey and Scires teamed up for a block, while Riggs served up an ace and Scires put down the final two kills for the Falcons' 25-20 victory.
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The Bulldogs struck first in the third set and, although Air Force received points from Riggs (ace), Scires (kill), freshman Ashley Bible (block with Harvey) and Harvey (block with Bible), Drake sent the Falcons into an early timeout trailing 5-10. Messenger added a pair of kills (6-10, 7-11) and Harvey produced a pair of points (kill, block with Tschuor) on back-to-back plays, but the Bulldogs pushed their lead to seven (16-9). Another pair of Harvey points (kill, block with Scires) brought Air Force to within five (12-17), while a pair of kills from both Russ and Messenger narrowed the gap to three at the 16-19 mark. Junior Savannah Neal added a kill and scores from Harvey (kill) and Messenger (ace) brought the Falcons to 20, but Drake claimed the 25-21 win.
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Drake scored the first three points of the fourth, before Markwardt put down kill to halt the set-opening run. Harvey put down a kill and teamed up with Scires for a block to bring Air Force within one (3-4), while another Markwardt kill and a Harvey/Messenger block kept the Falcons within that margin (7-8). Drake pushed its advantage out to three, but a Messenger ace helped Air Force tie the set at 10. The teams traded the next few points, with Harvey (11) and Markwardt (12) recording set-tying kills. Drake pushed its lead back to five (20-15) before Messenger, Markwardt and the blocking duo of Harvey and Tschuor brought Air Force within one (19-20). Markwardt and Scires added scores, while a pair of Messenger kills evened the set at 24. Air Force took its first lead of the set (25-24) off a Tschuor/Russ block, while back-to-back kills from the senior duo of Messenger and Markwardt gave the Falcons a thrilling 27-25 win.
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Messenger gave the Falcons a 3-1 lead to start the final set, tallying a kill, block (with Harvey) and ace. Another score by the senior kept the Falcons ahead 5-4, but the Bulldogs scored six-straight points to take a 10-5 lead. Markwardt stopped the run with a kill at the 6-10 mark, while Scires and Messenger put down scores to bring the Falcons within two (9-11). Drake took a 13-10 lead, but Messenger scored another kill to spark a set-ending, five-point run by the Falcons that included a block by Tschuor and back-to-back strikes from Markwardt. The Falcons forced the Bulldogs into an attacking error on the final play to secure the thrilling 15-13 victory – their second five-set win of the day.
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AMY SVOBODA MEMORIAL CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMÂ
Four Falcons posted double-digit kill totals, while the squad had another impressive outing on the block. Senior BrookeLyn Messenger and junior Aaryn Scires led the Falcons with 13 kills apiece, while junior Joi Harvey tallied 11 and senior Sarah Markwardt added 10 – in the final two sets – during a match-high .556 hitting performance. Harvey collected her second double-double of the day, as she produced a match-best 10 blocks (all assisted). Scires and sophomore Mac Russ both tallied six blocks, as Air Force out-blocked the Bulldogs by a 17-10 margin. Messenger served up three of the team's seven aces and collected her own double-double with an 11-dig performance. Sophomore Murphy Riggs led the team with 13 digs, while junior Amber Soto rounded out the team's stat leaders with a career-high 32-assist outing.
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Despite an early kill from Harvey, Drake jumped out to a fast 8-2 lead that sent the Falcons into a quick timeout. Scires tallied three of the Falcons' next four points (6-11), but a four-point run by the Bulldogs caused Air Force to use its second timeout at the 6-15 mark. Scires tallied another score coming out of the break, sparking a 4-0 run by Air Force that included a Messenger/Russ block and a pair of kills from sophomore Ella Tschuor. Air Force cut its deficit to five (10-15) during that run, while two Harvey Kills and back-to-back blocks from Russ and Messenger pulled Air Force within four (16-20). Russ added two more kills, but Drake took the opening set by a 25-19 margin.
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Air Force and Drake traded the opening points of the second set, with Tschuor (1-1), Harvey (2-2), Scires (3-3) and Messenger (4-4) providing the set-tying kills. The senior teamed up with Russ for a block that ended the back-and-forth play, while kills from Russ and Tschuor bookended an ace by junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer that gave Air Force an 8-5 lead. The Falcons pushed their lead to five (14-9) following four-straight points from Scires and Russ, who combined for three kills and teamed up for a block. The former added another score at 15-10, while Tschuor (kill) and Reinkensmeyer (ace) pushed the Falcons' lead to six (18-12). Harvey and Scires teamed up for a block, while Riggs served up an ace and Scires put down the final two kills for the Falcons' 25-20 victory.
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The Bulldogs struck first in the third set and, although Air Force received points from Riggs (ace), Scires (kill), freshman Ashley Bible (block with Harvey) and Harvey (block with Bible), Drake sent the Falcons into an early timeout trailing 5-10. Messenger added a pair of kills (6-10, 7-11) and Harvey produced a pair of points (kill, block with Tschuor) on back-to-back plays, but the Bulldogs pushed their lead to seven (16-9). Another pair of Harvey points (kill, block with Scires) brought Air Force to within five (12-17), while a pair of kills from both Russ and Messenger narrowed the gap to three at the 16-19 mark. Junior Savannah Neal added a kill and scores from Harvey (kill) and Messenger (ace) brought the Falcons to 20, but Drake claimed the 25-21 win.
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Drake scored the first three points of the fourth, before Markwardt put down kill to halt the set-opening run. Harvey put down a kill and teamed up with Scires for a block to bring Air Force within one (3-4), while another Markwardt kill and a Harvey/Messenger block kept the Falcons within that margin (7-8). Drake pushed its advantage out to three, but a Messenger ace helped Air Force tie the set at 10. The teams traded the next few points, with Harvey (11) and Markwardt (12) recording set-tying kills. Drake pushed its lead back to five (20-15) before Messenger, Markwardt and the blocking duo of Harvey and Tschuor brought Air Force within one (19-20). Markwardt and Scires added scores, while a pair of Messenger kills evened the set at 24. Air Force took its first lead of the set (25-24) off a Tschuor/Russ block, while back-to-back kills from the senior duo of Messenger and Markwardt gave the Falcons a thrilling 27-25 win.
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Messenger gave the Falcons a 3-1 lead to start the final set, tallying a kill, block (with Harvey) and ace. Another score by the senior kept the Falcons ahead 5-4, but the Bulldogs scored six-straight points to take a 10-5 lead. Markwardt stopped the run with a kill at the 6-10 mark, while Scires and Messenger put down scores to bring the Falcons within two (9-11). Drake took a 13-10 lead, but Messenger scored another kill to spark a set-ending, five-point run by the Falcons that included a block by Tschuor and back-to-back strikes from Markwardt. The Falcons forced the Bulldogs into an attacking error on the final play to secure the thrilling 15-13 victory – their second five-set win of the day.
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Bre Mitchell, CSUN
Celeste Vela, Texas A&M Commerce
Joi Harvey, Air Force
BrookeLyn Messenger, Air Force
Addison Beagle, Drake
Mariana Rodrigues, Drake
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After opening the season at within the familiar – and friendly – confines of Cadet East Gym, Air Force heads to the East Coast next weekend (Sept. 2-3) for matches against Siena, Brown and Rhode Island.
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Team Stats
DRA
USAFA
Kills
64
64
Errors
32
29
Attempts
162
159
Hitting %
.198
.220
Points
76
88
Assists
59
63
Aces
2
7
Blocks
10
17
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
13
Aces
3
Blocks
3
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
10
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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