Friday, September 2
Providence, RI
2:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
4-0,0-0Mountain West
3
vs
2
Siena
0-4,0-0MAAC
1
2
3
4
5
F
Air Force
25
24
23
25
15
3
Siena
16
26
25
21
9
2
Photo by: Justin Pacheco
Falcons Nab Comeback Victory Over Siena
9/2/2022 8:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BrookeLyn Messenger and Ella Tschuor paced the Falcons in the five-set thriller.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Air Force volleyball team kicked off the Labor Day weekend with a thrilling five-set comeback victory over Siena on Friday (Sept. 2) during a neutral site contest in Providence. The Falcons remained undefeated on the year, as they held off the Saints in 25-16, 26-24, 23-25, 25-21, 15-9 sets.
Senior BrookeLyn Messenger led the Falcons with 13 kills and 19 kills – one of two Falcons to record double-digit kills (sophomore Ella Tschuor, 11) and one of four to reach double figures in digs (sophomore Murphy Riggs, 18; junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer, 11; freshman Ashley Bible, 10). Messenger, who also tallied three of the team's six aces, and Reinkensmeyer both accounted for double-doubles on the night, as the latter added a match-high 22 assists. Junior Joi Harvey rounded out the Falcons' stat leaders with eight blocks, including a pair of solo stops.
Senior Sarah Markwardt earned the Falcons' first offensive point of the day at the 2-3 mark, while the Falcons benefited from three-straight errors by the Saints to tie the set at five. Junior Amber Soto, who was at the serving line during the run, put down an ace to give Air Force its first lead of the match (6-5) and added a kill, as the Falcons scored seven-straight points to take a 9-5 advantage. Messenger added pair of kills to halt a run by the Saints, while kills from Russ, Harvey (two), Markwardt and junior Aaryn Scires to push Air Force's lead out to five (17-12). A Harvey/Scires block (18-13) and a Messenger kill (19-14) kept the lead at five and, after the Saints narrowed their deficit to three at 19-16, Russ paced the Falcons to a set-ending 6-0 run that included two kills and an assisted block with Tschuor. Messenger capped the run with back-to-back kills that secured Air Force the 25-16 victory.
For the second time in as many sets, Markwardt scored the Falcons' first offensive point, this time tying the set at four. The Saints scored seven of the next nine points to take an 11-6 advantage, but Tschuor registered three kills during a 6-2 run by the Falcons that brought Air Force back within one (12-13). The sophomore added another strike to spark a four-point run that gave the Falcons a two-point advantage at 16-14, while Harvey tallied a kill and teamed up with Scires for a block during the run. Siena tied the set at 20 and, while Tschuor (21), Messenger (23) and Harvey (24) recording set-tying kills, the Saints evened the set with a 26-24 victory.
Tschuor put down three kills in the opening minutes of the third set and a score from Scires gave Air Force a 6-5 lead, but Siena rolled off 10 of the next 12 points to take a 15-8 lead. Harvey stopped the run with a solo block, while Messenger served up three consecutive aces to bring Air Force within three at the 13-16 mark. Kills from Harvey and Scires highlighted another run by the Falcons that tied the set at 19, but the Saints responded with three-straight points to take a 23-20 advantage. Sophomore Mac Russ stopped the run with a kill and Messenger added a pair of kills, but Siena claimed the final point for the 25-23 win.
A kill from Harvey helped Air Force tie the fourth set at four, while strikes from kills from Ellie Eichhorn (5-5) and Messenger (7-7) kept the Falcons tied. The Saints broke the tie with a 4-0 run, but Air Force responded with a four-point run of its own that included a Russ kill and a Harvey/Messenger block and ended with an 11-all tie. Harvey tallied three points (solo block, assisted block with Tschuor, kill) during a six-point run by the Falcons that extended their lead to 17-12. Bible and Russ both tallied kills and assisted on blocks (Bible with Harvey, Russ with Scires), while kills from Messenger (two) and Eichhorn secured the Falcons' 25-21 win that forced a fifth set.
Air Force jumped out to a fast 7-2 start in the deciding set, as Riggs served up back-to-back aces and Scires put down a pair of kills. The Falcons maintained their five-point lead at the 9-4 mark, but Siena used a 5-1 run to pull within one (10-9). Messenger stopped the Saints' run with a kill and teamed up with Harvey for a block on the ensuing point, before Harvey put down a kill. Tschuor capped the Falcons' match-ending run with back-to-back kills to give Air Force the 15-9 victory and a 4-0 record on the year.
The Falcons return to the Pizzitola Sports Center tomorrow (Sept. 3) morning to face Brown at 10:30 a.m. (ET), before traveling to Kearney Gymnasium in Kingston for a 7:00 p.m., contest with Rhode Island.
Senior BrookeLyn Messenger led the Falcons with 13 kills and 19 kills – one of two Falcons to record double-digit kills (sophomore Ella Tschuor, 11) and one of four to reach double figures in digs (sophomore Murphy Riggs, 18; junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer, 11; freshman Ashley Bible, 10). Messenger, who also tallied three of the team's six aces, and Reinkensmeyer both accounted for double-doubles on the night, as the latter added a match-high 22 assists. Junior Joi Harvey rounded out the Falcons' stat leaders with eight blocks, including a pair of solo stops.
Senior Sarah Markwardt earned the Falcons' first offensive point of the day at the 2-3 mark, while the Falcons benefited from three-straight errors by the Saints to tie the set at five. Junior Amber Soto, who was at the serving line during the run, put down an ace to give Air Force its first lead of the match (6-5) and added a kill, as the Falcons scored seven-straight points to take a 9-5 advantage. Messenger added pair of kills to halt a run by the Saints, while kills from Russ, Harvey (two), Markwardt and junior Aaryn Scires to push Air Force's lead out to five (17-12). A Harvey/Scires block (18-13) and a Messenger kill (19-14) kept the lead at five and, after the Saints narrowed their deficit to three at 19-16, Russ paced the Falcons to a set-ending 6-0 run that included two kills and an assisted block with Tschuor. Messenger capped the run with back-to-back kills that secured Air Force the 25-16 victory.
For the second time in as many sets, Markwardt scored the Falcons' first offensive point, this time tying the set at four. The Saints scored seven of the next nine points to take an 11-6 advantage, but Tschuor registered three kills during a 6-2 run by the Falcons that brought Air Force back within one (12-13). The sophomore added another strike to spark a four-point run that gave the Falcons a two-point advantage at 16-14, while Harvey tallied a kill and teamed up with Scires for a block during the run. Siena tied the set at 20 and, while Tschuor (21), Messenger (23) and Harvey (24) recording set-tying kills, the Saints evened the set with a 26-24 victory.
Tschuor put down three kills in the opening minutes of the third set and a score from Scires gave Air Force a 6-5 lead, but Siena rolled off 10 of the next 12 points to take a 15-8 lead. Harvey stopped the run with a solo block, while Messenger served up three consecutive aces to bring Air Force within three at the 13-16 mark. Kills from Harvey and Scires highlighted another run by the Falcons that tied the set at 19, but the Saints responded with three-straight points to take a 23-20 advantage. Sophomore Mac Russ stopped the run with a kill and Messenger added a pair of kills, but Siena claimed the final point for the 25-23 win.
A kill from Harvey helped Air Force tie the fourth set at four, while strikes from kills from Ellie Eichhorn (5-5) and Messenger (7-7) kept the Falcons tied. The Saints broke the tie with a 4-0 run, but Air Force responded with a four-point run of its own that included a Russ kill and a Harvey/Messenger block and ended with an 11-all tie. Harvey tallied three points (solo block, assisted block with Tschuor, kill) during a six-point run by the Falcons that extended their lead to 17-12. Bible and Russ both tallied kills and assisted on blocks (Bible with Harvey, Russ with Scires), while kills from Messenger (two) and Eichhorn secured the Falcons' 25-21 win that forced a fifth set.
Air Force jumped out to a fast 7-2 start in the deciding set, as Riggs served up back-to-back aces and Scires put down a pair of kills. The Falcons maintained their five-point lead at the 9-4 mark, but Siena used a 5-1 run to pull within one (10-9). Messenger stopped the Saints' run with a kill and teamed up with Harvey for a block on the ensuing point, before Harvey put down a kill. Tschuor capped the Falcons' match-ending run with back-to-back kills to give Air Force the 15-9 victory and a 4-0 record on the year.
The Falcons return to the Pizzitola Sports Center tomorrow (Sept. 3) morning to face Brown at 10:30 a.m. (ET), before traveling to Kearney Gymnasium in Kingston for a 7:00 p.m., contest with Rhode Island.
Team Stats
USAFA
Siena
Kills
56
47
Errors
19
36
Attempts
172
187
Hitting %
.215
.059
Points
72
65
Assists
55
44
Aces
6
12
Blocks
10
6
Game Leaders
Kills
13
Aces
3
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
8
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ 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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