Saturday, September 10
Riverside, CA
2:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
7-2,0-0Mountain West
2
at
3
California Baptist
3-5,0-0WAC
1
2
3
4
5
F
Air Force
25
23
25
22
11
2
California Baptist
21
25
23
25
15
3
Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Air Force Unable to Hold Off Cal Baptist
9/10/2022 7:14:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Air Force out-served the Lancers, 11-5, in the five-set loss.
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Unable to hold off a late comeback by Cal Baptist, the Air Force volleyball team suffered a tough five-set loss to the Lancers this afternoon (Sept. 10) in their final match of the CBU Volleyball Classic. Despite out-acing their opponents 11-6, the Falcons fell in 25-21, 23-25, 25-23, 22-25, 11-15 sets at Van Dyne Gym in Riverside.
Â
Backed by a season-high 15 kills from junior Joi Harvey on .609 hitting (15-1-23), four different Falcons posted double-digit kill totals in the match. Classmate Savannah Neal tallied 12 on .417 hitting (12-2-24), while senior BrookeLyn Messenger and freshman Ashley Bible added tallies of 11 and 10, respectively. Junior Allie Griffith tallied three of the team's 11 aces – the second-highest total of the season, as seven different Falcons recorded at least one score from the serving line. Junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer, who added a pair of aces in the match, accounted for 27 assists , while Messenger – the other multi-ace Falcon – added a team-high 16 digs for a double-double. Harvey rounded out the Falcons' stat leaders with eight blocks, including three solo stops.
Â
Messenger registered the Falcons' first offensive point of the match (2-1) and added a second, while a service ace from sophomore Murphy Riggs put the Falcons up 4-2. The Lancers seven of the next nine points to take a 9-6 advantage, before sophomore Ellie Eichhorn (kill) and Messenger (solo block) stopped their run with back-to-back points that brought Air Force within one (8-9). A kill from sophomore Mac Russ and an ace from Reinkensmeyer broke up a 6-2 run by CBU, before Messenger sparked a 6-2 run by the Falcons that tied the set at 17. The senior team captain registered a service ace during the run, while Bible added a kill and Harvey posted the team's second solo stop of the set. CBU retook the lead on the next play, but a pair of aces from Griffith, as well as a kill from Eichhorn and a block from Russ and Neal, highlighted a five-point run by the Falcons (22-18). The Lancers scored the next three to pull within one (22-21) but kills from Messenger and Bible – with the latter's strike following a leaping save by the freshman – secured the Falcons' 25-21 victory.
Â
Cal Baptist scored the first three points of the second set, but Air Force quickly responded and scored the next seven points that included kills from Harvey, Bible and Messenger, as well as a successful challenge by head coach Keith Barnett. The Lancers pulled within two at the 9-7 mark, but the Falcons pushed their lead to six (13-7) following another Griffith ace and kills from Eichhorn, Messenger and Bible. Despite another Reinkensmeyer ace and a kill from sophomore Ella Tschuor, the Lancers used a 6-1 run to even the set at 17. Harvey broke the run with a kill, but CBU scored four straight to take a 22-19 advantage. Neal recorded a kill and served up an ace, but the Lancers evened the match with a narrow 25-23 win.
Â
Harvey accounted for three of the Falcons' first four points to start the third set (4-3), tallying a pair of kills and teaming up with Tschuor for a set-opening block. Russ and Neal teamed up for another block, before Harvey rattled off the Falcons' next five points – accounting for three kills, a solo block, and an assisted block with Bible that gave Air Force a 12-9 lead. Neal added a pair of kills, but the Lancers scored six of the next seven points to event the set at 16. Harvey (17-16) and Bible (18-17) accounted for tie-breaking kills and teamed up for a block at the 19-17 mark. The junior put down another strike to spark a 4-0 run by the Falcons that included an ace by Eichhorn and back-to-back kills from Russ. Cal Baptist pulled within one at 24-23, but Neal put down a decisive kill to secure the Falcons' 25-23 victory.
Â
A pair of kills from Neal highlighted the opening points of the fourth set, while Bible added an ace and the sophomore duo of Tschuor and Russ tallied kills to help Air Force take a 7-4 lead. The Lancers tied the set at seven during an 11-3 that was only broken up by kills from Messenger (two) and Bible. Back-to-back strikes from Neal and Russ brought the Falcons within four (12-16), while a pair of kills from Messenger and back-to-back scores from Harvey (kill, solo block) cut the Falcons' deficit to two (19-21). Â Harvey (two) and Neal added kills, but Cal Baptist evened the match with a 25-22 win.
Â
The Lancers recorded the first three points in the deciding set, before Messenger put the Falcons on the board with a kill. Harvey and Bible teamed up for a kill, while a strike by the freshman evened the set at three. Air Force took a 6-5 lead following kills from Harvey and Bible, while the pair assisted on another stop to halt a CBU run (7-9). Neal added three more kills, but CBU finished the comeback with the 15-11 win.
Â
Air Force returns to the Academy next week for the Thin Air Challenge on Sept. 15-17. The Falcons will face their tournament co-host Denver on Thursday, Sept. 15, before taking on UC San Diego and San Francisco on Friday, Sept. 16, and Saturday, Sept. 17, respectively.
Â
Â
Â
Backed by a season-high 15 kills from junior Joi Harvey on .609 hitting (15-1-23), four different Falcons posted double-digit kill totals in the match. Classmate Savannah Neal tallied 12 on .417 hitting (12-2-24), while senior BrookeLyn Messenger and freshman Ashley Bible added tallies of 11 and 10, respectively. Junior Allie Griffith tallied three of the team's 11 aces – the second-highest total of the season, as seven different Falcons recorded at least one score from the serving line. Junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer, who added a pair of aces in the match, accounted for 27 assists , while Messenger – the other multi-ace Falcon – added a team-high 16 digs for a double-double. Harvey rounded out the Falcons' stat leaders with eight blocks, including three solo stops.
Â
Messenger registered the Falcons' first offensive point of the match (2-1) and added a second, while a service ace from sophomore Murphy Riggs put the Falcons up 4-2. The Lancers seven of the next nine points to take a 9-6 advantage, before sophomore Ellie Eichhorn (kill) and Messenger (solo block) stopped their run with back-to-back points that brought Air Force within one (8-9). A kill from sophomore Mac Russ and an ace from Reinkensmeyer broke up a 6-2 run by CBU, before Messenger sparked a 6-2 run by the Falcons that tied the set at 17. The senior team captain registered a service ace during the run, while Bible added a kill and Harvey posted the team's second solo stop of the set. CBU retook the lead on the next play, but a pair of aces from Griffith, as well as a kill from Eichhorn and a block from Russ and Neal, highlighted a five-point run by the Falcons (22-18). The Lancers scored the next three to pull within one (22-21) but kills from Messenger and Bible – with the latter's strike following a leaping save by the freshman – secured the Falcons' 25-21 victory.
Â
Cal Baptist scored the first three points of the second set, but Air Force quickly responded and scored the next seven points that included kills from Harvey, Bible and Messenger, as well as a successful challenge by head coach Keith Barnett. The Lancers pulled within two at the 9-7 mark, but the Falcons pushed their lead to six (13-7) following another Griffith ace and kills from Eichhorn, Messenger and Bible. Despite another Reinkensmeyer ace and a kill from sophomore Ella Tschuor, the Lancers used a 6-1 run to even the set at 17. Harvey broke the run with a kill, but CBU scored four straight to take a 22-19 advantage. Neal recorded a kill and served up an ace, but the Lancers evened the match with a narrow 25-23 win.
Â
Harvey accounted for three of the Falcons' first four points to start the third set (4-3), tallying a pair of kills and teaming up with Tschuor for a set-opening block. Russ and Neal teamed up for another block, before Harvey rattled off the Falcons' next five points – accounting for three kills, a solo block, and an assisted block with Bible that gave Air Force a 12-9 lead. Neal added a pair of kills, but the Lancers scored six of the next seven points to event the set at 16. Harvey (17-16) and Bible (18-17) accounted for tie-breaking kills and teamed up for a block at the 19-17 mark. The junior put down another strike to spark a 4-0 run by the Falcons that included an ace by Eichhorn and back-to-back kills from Russ. Cal Baptist pulled within one at 24-23, but Neal put down a decisive kill to secure the Falcons' 25-23 victory.
Â
A pair of kills from Neal highlighted the opening points of the fourth set, while Bible added an ace and the sophomore duo of Tschuor and Russ tallied kills to help Air Force take a 7-4 lead. The Lancers tied the set at seven during an 11-3 that was only broken up by kills from Messenger (two) and Bible. Back-to-back strikes from Neal and Russ brought the Falcons within four (12-16), while a pair of kills from Messenger and back-to-back scores from Harvey (kill, solo block) cut the Falcons' deficit to two (19-21). Â Harvey (two) and Neal added kills, but Cal Baptist evened the match with a 25-22 win.
Â
The Lancers recorded the first three points in the deciding set, before Messenger put the Falcons on the board with a kill. Harvey and Bible teamed up for a kill, while a strike by the freshman evened the set at three. Air Force took a 6-5 lead following kills from Harvey and Bible, while the pair assisted on another stop to halt a CBU run (7-9). Neal added three more kills, but CBU finished the comeback with the 15-11 win.
Â
Air Force returns to the Academy next week for the Thin Air Challenge on Sept. 15-17. The Falcons will face their tournament co-host Denver on Thursday, Sept. 15, before taking on UC San Diego and San Francisco on Friday, Sept. 16, and Saturday, Sept. 17, respectively.
Â
Â
Team Stats
USAFA
CBU
Kills
60
58
Errors
31
27
Attempts
166
157
Hitting %
.175
.197
Points
83
77
Assists
56
54
Aces
11
5
Blocks
12
14
Game Leaders
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
8
Kills
12
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballFalcons fall in 5 sets to New Mexico
Saturday, November 15
Falcons reverse sweep Grand Canyon for 7th MW win of the season
Thursday, November 13
Macey Donathan Interview Sept 30, 2025
Tuesday, September 30
Falcons open up MW play with sweep of Nevada
Thursday, September 25
