Thursday, September 22
Logan, UT
7:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
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Utah State
9-3,1-0Mountain West
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Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Air Force Unable to Hold Off Aggies' Comeback
9/22/2022 11:31:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Mac Russ and Joi Harvey combined for 10 stops, as Air Force out-blocked Utah State 16-11.
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team opened the Mountain West portion of the season with a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Utah State tonight (Sept. 22) in Logan. The Falcons, who won the first two sets by 25-21, 25-20 margins, were unable to hold onto the lead as the Aggies rebounded for the 26-24, 25-14, 20-18 comeback that dropped Air Force to 8-5 on the year.
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Six different Falcons recorded multiple blocks on Kirby Court, as Air Force out-blocked the reigning MW co-champs, 16-11. Junior Joi Harvey paced the team with eight stops, including a pair of solo blocks, while sophomore Mac Russ added seven – three of which were done single-handedly. Freshman Savanah Johnson and the senior duo of BrookeLyn Messenger and Sarah Markwardt all assisted on three stops, while junior Savannah Neal added a pair and freshman Alex Hatchett tallied one.
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Messenger, who recorded four of the Falcons' nine service aces, picked up the 11th double-double of her career, as she added 13 digs to her team-leading 11 kills. Harvey accounted for 10 kills on .348 hitting (10-2-23), while sophomore Murphy Riggs led the team with 15 digs and three setters – junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer (18), junior Amber Soto (14) and sophomore Ellie Eichhorn (11) combined for all but five of the team's 48 assists – with Eichhorn's all coming in the final two sets.
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The Aggies scored five of the match's first six points, but Air Force roared back – tallying seven straight points during a 10-2 run that gave the Falcons an 11-7 advantage and sent the Aggies into a timeout. Neal, on the line for the Falcons' initial 7-0 run, registered a pair of aces during the stretch, while Russ (kill, block with Messenger), Johnson (kill, block with Harvey), Messenger (kill, block with Russ) and Harvey (solo block, block with Johnson) all scored multiple points during the run. Utah State responded with eight of the next 11 points to pull within one (15-14) and stayed within one at 18-17. Messenger stopped their run with a kill, while Harvey added another pair of blocks – a solo stop that put the Falcons up 20-17 and an assisted block that maintained the Falcons' three-point advantage (21-18). Markwardt added a pair of kills and a strike by Neal secured a 25-21 win for Air Force.
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Utah State tallied the first two points of the second set, but Messenger tallied a pair of kills and a service ace to give Air Force a 5-4 lead, while a pair of blocks from Russ (one solo, one assisted with Neal) pushed the Falcons' advantage to two (9-7). Russ and Messenger, who combined for five-straight Air Force points, added back-to-back kills and teamed up for a block as the Falcons pushed their lead to three (12-9). The Aggies pulled within one at the 15-14 mark, but Air Force rattled off the next five points (20-14) during a run that saw Harvey account for two kills, a block and a diving dig that led to a score from Markwardt. Utah State again closed the gap, pulling within two (20-18), but a Neal kill and Russ/Markwardt block helped clinch the Falcons' 25-20 win.
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The third set started just like the others, with the Aggies striking first and the Falcons responding. Scores from Reinkensmeyer (kill), Messenger (kill) and Markwardt (ace) turned an 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 lead, while additional scores from Messenger (kill, ace) and Markwardt (two kills) gave Air Force an 11-7 lead. The Falcons held a three-point advantage (17-14) following kills from Russ, Johnson, Harvey and Markwardt, but Utah State used a 7-2 run to even the set at 20. The teams traded the next eight points, with the Falcons responding first at each point through 24-23. After tying the score at 24-all, the Aggies broke the back-and-forth action to claim the next two scores for the 26-24 victory.
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Air Force earned the first point of the fourth set off an error, but Utah State quickly took control of the set, scoring 10 of the next 11 points to take an 11-3 lead. Johnson put down a kill to stop the run, while scores from Riggs (ace), Neal (kill) and Harvey (kill) helped Air Force cut into its deficit (7-11). Russ, Harvey and sophomore Ella Tschuor added kills, but Utah State evened the match with a dominating 25-14 win.
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The Falcons opened the deciding set on a 7-2 run, with Messenger, Markwardt and Harvey having a hand in five of those points. Messenger tallied a kill and two aces during the run, while Markwardt and Harvey teamed up for a pair of blocks. Utah State responded and only a kill from Harvey broke up a 7-1 run by the home team that gave them a 9-8 lead. Neal helped the Falcons tie the set at 12, while a solo block by Russ gave Air Force the lead on the next play and an errant attack by the Aggies put the Falcons up 14-12. After Utah State tied the set at 14, Russ (15-14) and Johnson (16-15) accounted for tie-breaking kills, while strikes from Harvey and Markwardt tied the set at 17 and 18, respectively. Unfortunately, the Aggies were able to stop the back-and-forth action for the final two points and the 20-18 victory.
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Air Force closes out the opening weekend of conference play on Saturday (Sept. 24), when it travels to Idaho for a noon (MT) match-up against Boise State.
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Six different Falcons recorded multiple blocks on Kirby Court, as Air Force out-blocked the reigning MW co-champs, 16-11. Junior Joi Harvey paced the team with eight stops, including a pair of solo blocks, while sophomore Mac Russ added seven – three of which were done single-handedly. Freshman Savanah Johnson and the senior duo of BrookeLyn Messenger and Sarah Markwardt all assisted on three stops, while junior Savannah Neal added a pair and freshman Alex Hatchett tallied one.
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Messenger, who recorded four of the Falcons' nine service aces, picked up the 11th double-double of her career, as she added 13 digs to her team-leading 11 kills. Harvey accounted for 10 kills on .348 hitting (10-2-23), while sophomore Murphy Riggs led the team with 15 digs and three setters – junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer (18), junior Amber Soto (14) and sophomore Ellie Eichhorn (11) combined for all but five of the team's 48 assists – with Eichhorn's all coming in the final two sets.
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The Aggies scored five of the match's first six points, but Air Force roared back – tallying seven straight points during a 10-2 run that gave the Falcons an 11-7 advantage and sent the Aggies into a timeout. Neal, on the line for the Falcons' initial 7-0 run, registered a pair of aces during the stretch, while Russ (kill, block with Messenger), Johnson (kill, block with Harvey), Messenger (kill, block with Russ) and Harvey (solo block, block with Johnson) all scored multiple points during the run. Utah State responded with eight of the next 11 points to pull within one (15-14) and stayed within one at 18-17. Messenger stopped their run with a kill, while Harvey added another pair of blocks – a solo stop that put the Falcons up 20-17 and an assisted block that maintained the Falcons' three-point advantage (21-18). Markwardt added a pair of kills and a strike by Neal secured a 25-21 win for Air Force.
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Utah State tallied the first two points of the second set, but Messenger tallied a pair of kills and a service ace to give Air Force a 5-4 lead, while a pair of blocks from Russ (one solo, one assisted with Neal) pushed the Falcons' advantage to two (9-7). Russ and Messenger, who combined for five-straight Air Force points, added back-to-back kills and teamed up for a block as the Falcons pushed their lead to three (12-9). The Aggies pulled within one at the 15-14 mark, but Air Force rattled off the next five points (20-14) during a run that saw Harvey account for two kills, a block and a diving dig that led to a score from Markwardt. Utah State again closed the gap, pulling within two (20-18), but a Neal kill and Russ/Markwardt block helped clinch the Falcons' 25-20 win.
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The third set started just like the others, with the Aggies striking first and the Falcons responding. Scores from Reinkensmeyer (kill), Messenger (kill) and Markwardt (ace) turned an 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 lead, while additional scores from Messenger (kill, ace) and Markwardt (two kills) gave Air Force an 11-7 lead. The Falcons held a three-point advantage (17-14) following kills from Russ, Johnson, Harvey and Markwardt, but Utah State used a 7-2 run to even the set at 20. The teams traded the next eight points, with the Falcons responding first at each point through 24-23. After tying the score at 24-all, the Aggies broke the back-and-forth action to claim the next two scores for the 26-24 victory.
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Air Force earned the first point of the fourth set off an error, but Utah State quickly took control of the set, scoring 10 of the next 11 points to take an 11-3 lead. Johnson put down a kill to stop the run, while scores from Riggs (ace), Neal (kill) and Harvey (kill) helped Air Force cut into its deficit (7-11). Russ, Harvey and sophomore Ella Tschuor added kills, but Utah State evened the match with a dominating 25-14 win.
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The Falcons opened the deciding set on a 7-2 run, with Messenger, Markwardt and Harvey having a hand in five of those points. Messenger tallied a kill and two aces during the run, while Markwardt and Harvey teamed up for a pair of blocks. Utah State responded and only a kill from Harvey broke up a 7-1 run by the home team that gave them a 9-8 lead. Neal helped the Falcons tie the set at 12, while a solo block by Russ gave Air Force the lead on the next play and an errant attack by the Aggies put the Falcons up 14-12. After Utah State tied the set at 14, Russ (15-14) and Johnson (16-15) accounted for tie-breaking kills, while strikes from Harvey and Markwardt tied the set at 17 and 18, respectively. Unfortunately, the Aggies were able to stop the back-and-forth action for the final two points and the 20-18 victory.
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Air Force closes out the opening weekend of conference play on Saturday (Sept. 24), when it travels to Idaho for a noon (MT) match-up against Boise State.
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Team Stats
USAFA
USU
Kills
51
61
Errors
27
35
Attempts
170
174
Hitting %
.141
.149
Points
76
81
Assists
48
58
Aces
9
9
Blocks
16
11
Game Leaders
Kills
11
Aces
4
Blocks
3
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
8
Kills
8
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
7
Aces
2
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ 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
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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