Air Force Drops Road Match to New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The Air Force volleyball team suffered a narrow 22-25, 23-25, 21-25 road loss to New Mexico on Tuesday (Oct. 17) night in Albuquerque, falling to 12-8 on the year (4-5 MW).

The freshmen duo of Annamaria Ramos and Sophia Dasilva had stellar outings during their first trip to Johnson Gym, as Ramos recorded a career-high 11 kills on .300 hitting (11-5-20) and Dasilva posted a match-high three service aces. Senior Joi Harvey paced the Falcons with 14 kills on .545 hitting (14-2-22), while classmate Caroline Reinkensmeyer posted 22 assisted and shared the team lead in digs (10 with sophomore Jordan Suan for the 21st double-double of her career. Junior Mac Russ rounded out the Falcons' stat leaders, as she assisted on half of the team's eight blocks.

Senior Aaryn had a hand in the first three Air Force points, as she teamed up with Russ for a pair of blocks and put down a kill. A strike from Russ, as well as a score from sophomore Ashley Bible, helped the Falcons roll out to an early 6-2 lead, but the Lobos responded with nine of the next 10 points to take an 11-7 advantage. Air Force tied the set at 12 following a pair of kills from Ramos and another Russ strike, while the teams traded three-point swings – the first that gave UNM a 15-12 lead and the second that pulled the Falcons within one at 17-18. The Lobos registered four unanswered points, before the Falcons scored the next four – including a kill from Harvey and an ace from senior Amber Soto – to return within one (21-22). But, despite another strike from Harvey, the Lobos scored four of the final five points to take the opening set 25-22.

Ramos and Russ teamed up for back-to-back kills, while a Scires score off a successful challenge from head coach Keith Barnett gave the Falcons at 3-2 lead. A pair of kills from Harvey broke up a 6-2 run by the Lobos that gave the home squad an 8-5 lead. Soto put down a kill that pulled with Falcons within one (8-9), but New Mexico stretched their lead by to seven (18-11) following a 9-3 run. A pair of kills from Harvey, as well as back-to-back aces from Dasilva, highlighted a five-point run by the Falcons (16-18), while consecutive strikes from Ramos brought the Falcons within one (19-20). Kills from Russ and Scires (21-22), Ramos (22-23) and Harvey (23-24) kept the Falcons within one, but New Mexico recorded the final point for the narrow 25-23 victory.

Russ and Ramos again combined for the Falcons' opening scores in the third set, as the junior tallied a pair of kills and the freshman served up an ace to give Air Force an early 3-2 lead. The Falcons pushed their advantage to three (9-6) following two more kills from Ramos and three scores from Harvey. Back-to-back blocks from Russ (first with Ramos, second with Bible) broke a 10-all tie, while a kill from the junior, as well as two scores from Scires, pushed the Falcons lead to two (15-13). Air Force extended their margin to three (19-16) behind kills from Ramos, Scires and sophomore Savanah Johnson, but the Lobos scored nine of the final 11 points to secure the sweep with the 25-21 win.

The Falcons return to the Academy on Saturday, Oct. 21, when they begin the second half of the conference season against San Jose State at 1:00 p.m. (MT).

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Team Stats

Joi Harvey

Annamaria Ramos

Aaryn Scires

Mac Russ

Players Mentioned

Ashley Bible

Sophia Dasilva

Joi Harvey

Savanah Johnson

Annamaria Ramos

Caroline Reinkensmeyer

Mac Russ

Amber Soto

Jordan Suan

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