Saturday, September 3
Providence, RI
8:30 am MT
Air Force Academy
5-0,0-0Mountain West
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Brown
1-1,0-0Ivy League
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Air Force
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Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Air Force Holds off Brown for Fifth-Straight Win
9/3/2022 1:24:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The Falcons improved to 5-0 with the victory over the defending Ivy League champions.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Air Force volleyball team captured another five-set thriller this morning (Sept. 3), as it took down Brown, the defending Ivy League champions, at the Pizzitola Sports Center in Providence. With the 16-25, 25-22, 28-26, 22-25, 15-13 rally, the Falcons improved to 5-0 on the year – the best start at the Division I level.
The Falcons outblocked the Bears 14-8 in an otherwise evenly matched contest between the two programs. Junior Joi Harvey (eight – one solo, seven assisted) and the sophomore duo of Ella Tschuor (six – all assisted) and Mac Russ (five – all assisted) led the Falcons' charge at the net, while four others tallied at least one block. Harvey and Tschuor also led Air Force in kills, as Harvey recorded a team-leading 13 strikes on .259 hitting and Tschuor tied with senior BrookeLyn Messenger for second in scoring with 11 kills apiece. Messenger and junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer both recorded a team-high 11 digs, while Reinkensmeyer added 31 assists. Fellow setter Ellie Eichhorn, who added 22 helpers in the match, rounded out the Falcons' list of stat leaders with four of the Falcons' 10 service aces.
Freshman Ashley Bible tallied two kills and an ace, as Air Force jumped out to a quick 7-4 lead to start the match. Harvey and Tschuor also contributed to the Falcons' early lead, as they both tallied a kill after teaming up for a block. The Bears responded by scoring seven of the next eight points, but Messenger stopped their run with a pair of kills. Air Force pulled within one (12-13) after a Bible kill and an ace from sophomore Murphy Riggs, but Brown rattled off the next 10 points to take a 23-12 advantage. Air Force added points from Bible, Eichhorn, Russ and Markwardt, but dropped the opening set 25-16.
Tschuor struck first in the second set, while scores from Harvey (kill), Riggs (ace) and junior Savannah Neal (kill) helped Air Force out to a 4-1 lead. Air Force continued to lead (9-7) following strikes from Eichhorn and Russ, as well as additional scores from Harvey and Tschuor. The Bears tied the set at nine and used a 7-1 run to take a four-point lead (16-12). Kills from Tschuor, Russ, and senior Sarah Markwardt highlighted a 5-1 run by the Falcons that tied the set at 18, while a strike from Messenger tied the set at 20. Brown took a two-point lead at 22-20, but the Falcons used kills from Tschuor (two), Markwardt and Harvey, as well as an ace from Messenger, to claim the final five points and the 25-22 victory to tie the match at one.
Harvey and Tschuor accounted for Air Force's first three points (2-3) of the next set, as Tschuor put down a kill, Harvey registered a solo block and the pair teamed up for a stop. Neal (kill), Eichhorn (ace) and Markwardt added scores, before Brown evened the set at seven. A kill from Messenger evened the score at nine and sparked a 5-2 run for the Falcons that included a Reinkensmeyer ace, a Messenger block, and kills from Harvey and Markwardt (13-11). The Bears tied the set at 13 and the teams traded the next few points, with Air Force earning its scores from Neal and Russ. The pair added another set of kills (17-15), but Brown retook the lead at 18-17 and advanced the score to 23-21. Junior Aaryn Scires came off the bench and promptly accounted for the Falcons' next three points – a kill that tied the set at 23, another that evened the set at 24 and a block with Russ that gave Air Force the 25-24 lead. Brown tied the set at 25- and 26-all, but a kill by Messenger secured the 28-26 comeback.
Air Force and Brown traded the opening points of the fourth set, with the Falcons earning most of their scores off kills from Harvey (two), Neal and Russ. A strike from Messenger tied the set at seven and sparked a six-point run by the Falcons (12-7) that included a pair of Harvey-assisted blocks (one with Messenger, one with Tschuor) and a Reinkensmeyer ace. The Bears responded with a six-point run of their own to take a 13-12 advantage, before Tschuor stopped the run with a kill. Air Force held an 18-15 lead after an Eichhorn ace, but Brown scored the next seven points to take a 22-18 lead. Air Force added kills from Messenger and Harvey, as well as a Tschuor/Russ block, to pull with two, but Brown earned the final point for the 25-22 win – a score that would send Air Force to its fourth-straight five-set contest.
Tschuor posted the Falcons' first point of the deciding set (1-1), while Scires added another to force Brown into an early timeout at the 3-1 mark. Air Force pushed its advantage to four (8-4) following a pair of kills from Russ, but Brown countered kills from Russ, Harvey and Markwardt to tie the set at 12 and take the lead on the next point. Russ put down another kill to tie the set at 13 and teamed up with Messenger for a block, as Air Force completed the comeback with the 15-13 victory.
Air Force wraps up its weekend in Rhode Island later this evening, when it travels to Kingston to face Rhody at 7:00 p.m. (ET) inside the Rams' Keaney Gymnasium.
The Falcons outblocked the Bears 14-8 in an otherwise evenly matched contest between the two programs. Junior Joi Harvey (eight – one solo, seven assisted) and the sophomore duo of Ella Tschuor (six – all assisted) and Mac Russ (five – all assisted) led the Falcons' charge at the net, while four others tallied at least one block. Harvey and Tschuor also led Air Force in kills, as Harvey recorded a team-leading 13 strikes on .259 hitting and Tschuor tied with senior BrookeLyn Messenger for second in scoring with 11 kills apiece. Messenger and junior Caroline Reinkensmeyer both recorded a team-high 11 digs, while Reinkensmeyer added 31 assists. Fellow setter Ellie Eichhorn, who added 22 helpers in the match, rounded out the Falcons' list of stat leaders with four of the Falcons' 10 service aces.
Freshman Ashley Bible tallied two kills and an ace, as Air Force jumped out to a quick 7-4 lead to start the match. Harvey and Tschuor also contributed to the Falcons' early lead, as they both tallied a kill after teaming up for a block. The Bears responded by scoring seven of the next eight points, but Messenger stopped their run with a pair of kills. Air Force pulled within one (12-13) after a Bible kill and an ace from sophomore Murphy Riggs, but Brown rattled off the next 10 points to take a 23-12 advantage. Air Force added points from Bible, Eichhorn, Russ and Markwardt, but dropped the opening set 25-16.
Tschuor struck first in the second set, while scores from Harvey (kill), Riggs (ace) and junior Savannah Neal (kill) helped Air Force out to a 4-1 lead. Air Force continued to lead (9-7) following strikes from Eichhorn and Russ, as well as additional scores from Harvey and Tschuor. The Bears tied the set at nine and used a 7-1 run to take a four-point lead (16-12). Kills from Tschuor, Russ, and senior Sarah Markwardt highlighted a 5-1 run by the Falcons that tied the set at 18, while a strike from Messenger tied the set at 20. Brown took a two-point lead at 22-20, but the Falcons used kills from Tschuor (two), Markwardt and Harvey, as well as an ace from Messenger, to claim the final five points and the 25-22 victory to tie the match at one.
Harvey and Tschuor accounted for Air Force's first three points (2-3) of the next set, as Tschuor put down a kill, Harvey registered a solo block and the pair teamed up for a stop. Neal (kill), Eichhorn (ace) and Markwardt added scores, before Brown evened the set at seven. A kill from Messenger evened the score at nine and sparked a 5-2 run for the Falcons that included a Reinkensmeyer ace, a Messenger block, and kills from Harvey and Markwardt (13-11). The Bears tied the set at 13 and the teams traded the next few points, with Air Force earning its scores from Neal and Russ. The pair added another set of kills (17-15), but Brown retook the lead at 18-17 and advanced the score to 23-21. Junior Aaryn Scires came off the bench and promptly accounted for the Falcons' next three points – a kill that tied the set at 23, another that evened the set at 24 and a block with Russ that gave Air Force the 25-24 lead. Brown tied the set at 25- and 26-all, but a kill by Messenger secured the 28-26 comeback.
Air Force and Brown traded the opening points of the fourth set, with the Falcons earning most of their scores off kills from Harvey (two), Neal and Russ. A strike from Messenger tied the set at seven and sparked a six-point run by the Falcons (12-7) that included a pair of Harvey-assisted blocks (one with Messenger, one with Tschuor) and a Reinkensmeyer ace. The Bears responded with a six-point run of their own to take a 13-12 advantage, before Tschuor stopped the run with a kill. Air Force held an 18-15 lead after an Eichhorn ace, but Brown scored the next seven points to take a 22-18 lead. Air Force added kills from Messenger and Harvey, as well as a Tschuor/Russ block, to pull with two, but Brown earned the final point for the 25-22 win – a score that would send Air Force to its fourth-straight five-set contest.
Tschuor posted the Falcons' first point of the deciding set (1-1), while Scires added another to force Brown into an early timeout at the 3-1 mark. Air Force pushed its advantage to four (8-4) following a pair of kills from Russ, but Brown countered kills from Russ, Harvey and Markwardt to tie the set at 12 and take the lead on the next point. Russ put down another kill to tie the set at 13 and teamed up with Messenger for a block, as Air Force completed the comeback with the 15-13 victory.
Air Force wraps up its weekend in Rhode Island later this evening, when it travels to Kingston to face Rhody at 7:00 p.m. (ET) inside the Rams' Keaney Gymnasium.
Team Stats
USAFA
BRN
Kills
64
61
Errors
26
26
Attempts
157
155
Hitting %
.242
.226
Points
88
80
Assists
61
57
Aces
10
11
Blocks
14
8
Game Leaders
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
8
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ 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
OH
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