Falcons Cap Non-Conference Slate with USF Win

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team capped its non-conference schedule with an impressive 3-1 win over San Francisco this afternoon (Sept. 17) in the final match of the Thin Air Challenge. Backed by 32 combined kills from Joi Harvey, Sarah Markwardt and BrookeLyn Messenger, the Falcons downed the visiting Dons in 26-24, 17-25, 25-22, 25-23 to finish the non-MW season with an 8-4 mark.

Harvey tallied a match-high 12 kills on .500 hitting (12-1-22), while the two seniors each accounted for 10 kills. Messenger also tallied two of the team's seven service aces and led the team with 13 digs, while Harvey posted a team-high six blocks (one solo, five assisted). Junior Amber Soto – in her first start of the season – tallied a match-high 21 assists to round out the Falcons' stat leaders.

Harvey and Markwardt combined for five of the Falcons' first seven points to start the match (7-6), as the pair each recorded a pair of kills and teamed up for a block. The Dons took the lead during a 5-1 run, but blocks from Harvey (solo) and sophomores Mac Russ and Ella Tschuor (assisted) evened the set at 14. San Francisco scored seven of the next nine points to take a 21-16 lead, but Air Force quickly responded. Tschuor and Russ put down kills and teamed up for another block, while Messenger served up her first ace and a pair of kills helped Air Force even the score at 24. After holding off two set-point by their opponents during the set-tying run, the Falcons scored the final four points for the 26-24 comeback win.

Air Force earned multiple points from Harvey (two kills) and Messenger (ace, block with Russ) to start the second set, but San Francisco jumped out to a quick lead and maintained a 13-8 advantage at the midway point. Another pair of strikes from Harvey helped Air Force tie the set at 16, but the Dons scored nine of the next 10 points to even the match with a 25-17 win.

An ace from sophomore Murphy Riggs, as well as kills from Messenger and Harvey, helped Air Force open the third set on a 5-2 run, but USF scored the next five points to take a two-point lead at 7-5. The Falcons responded with seven of the next nine points (13-8) during a run that including kills from junior Savannah Neal and freshman Savanah Johnson – who was making her first collegiate start. Air Force maintained a five-point advantage (17-11), as a pair of Johnson kills bookended an ace from junior Allie Griffith. San Francisco pulled within two at the 19-17 mark – and again at 22-20, 23-21, 24-22 – but a block from Markwardt and Harvey gave Air Force the final point for the 25-22 win.

Messenger put down a set-tying kill at four-all in opening minutes of the fourth set, while a kill from Neal (6-7) and an ace from Markwardt (10-11) kept the Falcons within one. San Francisco pushed its lead to four at the 17-13 mark, but Air Force responded with a 6-1 run that included a kill by Messenger, a solo stop by Russ and a service ace by Neal. The Dons posted set-tying scores on four of the next five points, but Russ (kill at 20-19), Johnson (solo block at 22-21) and Messenger (kill at 23-22, kill at 24-23) produced timely tie-breaking points. A final kill by Russ secured the Falcons' 25-23 win – and the program's best non-conference record since 2018.

Air Force opens conference play next week with a pair of road contests. The Falcons will travel to Utah State for the conference opener on Thursday, Sept. 23, before visiting Boise State on Saturday, Sept. 25.

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.