Thursday, October 5
San Diego, CA
7:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
12-4 (4-1MW)
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San Diego State
7-9 (2-3MW)
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Air Force
25
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San Diego State
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Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Falcons Storm Back for Five-Set Win Over Aztecs
10/5/2023 11:34:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The Air Force volleyball team picked up a thrilling five-set road win at San Diego State this evening (Oct. 5), as it stormed back from a 2-1 deficit to upend the host Aztecs 25-23, 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-13. The win, which marked just the second ever for the Falcons at Peterson Gym, was the program-record fifth true road win of the year for Air Force, who improved to 12-4 overall (4-1 MW).
Assisting on her first block of the night, senior Joi Harvey broke the program's Division I career standard of 282 that Summer Koons had held since the conclusion of her standout Academy tenure in 1999.
In addition her record-setting block, Harvey paced the Falcons with 17 kills on .552 hitting, as she junior Mac Russ (13) and senior Aaryn Scires (11) combined for 41 of the team's 61 kills. The trio also helped Air Force out-block the Aztecs 9-3, as Russ led all players with six blocks (two solo, four assisted), Scires added four (one solo, three assisted) and Harvey had two (both assisted). Fellow senior Caroline Reinkensmeyer tallied 45 assists and two of the Falcons' three aces, while sophomore Jordan Suan accounted for 16 digs and the team's other ace.
Scires opened the scoring with a kill and added a solo block, as the Falcons jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead. Strikes from Harvey and sophomore Ashley Bible kept Air Force's advantage at three (5-2), while a score from Russ maintained that lead at the 7-4 mark. The Aztecs came back to tie the set at eight, but the Falcons responded with three-straight points, including kills from Harvey and junior Ella Tschuor, to retake the lead (11-8). A kill from Russ sparked a 4-1 run that helped push the Falcons' advantage to five (17-12), but San Diego State scored seven of the next nine points to tie the set at 19. Following a tie at 21-all, the teams traded points, with Harvey and Scires giving the Air Force the lead. A kill from Russ broke a tie at 23, while an Aztec error secured the 25-23 win for Air Force.
Reinkensmeyer opened the set with an ace, while kills from Harvey and Scires gave the Falcons an early 4-3 lead. The Aztecs used a 4-1 run to go up 7-5, but back-to-back kills from Tschuor gave the advantage back to Air Force (9-8). San Diego State used a 3-0 run to retake the lead and build on its advantage as the set continued. Russ tallied a kill and block (Tschuor), but the Aztecs evened the set with a 25-17 win.
The teams traded the first six points of the third set, with Harvey (two) and Scires putting down kills for the three-all tie. The Aztecs broke the back-and-forth scoring with a 5-1 run that doubled-up the Falcons 8-4. Air Force pulled within one (8-7) following a Russ/Tschuor block, a Harvey kill, and an ace from Suan. Another kill from Harvey – and her record-setting block (Scires with the assist) – tied the set at 11, but San Diego State scored eight of the next 10 to break open the scoring. Russ tallied a kill and teamed up with Reinkensmeyer for a block on back-to-back plays, but the Aztecs used a 5-1 run to go up 24-16. Four-straight points from Air Force, including a kill from sophomore Savanah Johnson, who grew up in nearby Chula Vista, held San Diego State at set-point, but the Aztecs scored the final point for the 25-20 win.
A pair of kills from Scires and a successful challenge from head coach Keith Barnett helped the Falcons play to a five-all tie in the opening minutes of the fourth set. The Aztecs rattled off the next six scores to take an 11-5 lead, before Johnson, Bible and senior Amber Soto put down kills in three-straight plays (8-11). A pair of strikes from Harvey brought the Falcons within one (12-13), while two more kills from the senior, as well as well as a kill and solo stop from Russ, tied the set at 17. Kills from Harvey and Bible pushed the Falcons' advantage out to three (22-19), while a Johnson kill, a Harvey/Scires block and a Reinkensmeyer ace gave Air Force the 25-20 win that evened the match at two sets apiece.
Three kills from Tschuor, as well as a kill and block from Russ, gave Air Force an early 5-2 lead in the deciding set, but the Aztecs took the lead (6-5) four plays later. Russ added a kill, but the teams switched sides with the Aztecs holding an 8-6 advantage. Bible and Johnson helped tie the set at nine, while an errant attack by San Diego State gave Air Force a 10-9 advantage. The Aztecs pulled within one at 13-12, but a pair of kills from Tschuor gave Air Force the 15-13 comeback win – its first victory at Peterson Gym since 2015 and just the second in the all-time series.
Air Force closes out this week's road trip on Saturday (Oct. 7), when it travels to Las Vegas to take on UNLV at 1:00 p.m. (PT) inside Cox Pavilion.
Assisting on her first block of the night, senior Joi Harvey broke the program's Division I career standard of 282 that Summer Koons had held since the conclusion of her standout Academy tenure in 1999.
In addition her record-setting block, Harvey paced the Falcons with 17 kills on .552 hitting, as she junior Mac Russ (13) and senior Aaryn Scires (11) combined for 41 of the team's 61 kills. The trio also helped Air Force out-block the Aztecs 9-3, as Russ led all players with six blocks (two solo, four assisted), Scires added four (one solo, three assisted) and Harvey had two (both assisted). Fellow senior Caroline Reinkensmeyer tallied 45 assists and two of the Falcons' three aces, while sophomore Jordan Suan accounted for 16 digs and the team's other ace.
Scires opened the scoring with a kill and added a solo block, as the Falcons jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead. Strikes from Harvey and sophomore Ashley Bible kept Air Force's advantage at three (5-2), while a score from Russ maintained that lead at the 7-4 mark. The Aztecs came back to tie the set at eight, but the Falcons responded with three-straight points, including kills from Harvey and junior Ella Tschuor, to retake the lead (11-8). A kill from Russ sparked a 4-1 run that helped push the Falcons' advantage to five (17-12), but San Diego State scored seven of the next nine points to tie the set at 19. Following a tie at 21-all, the teams traded points, with Harvey and Scires giving the Air Force the lead. A kill from Russ broke a tie at 23, while an Aztec error secured the 25-23 win for Air Force.
Reinkensmeyer opened the set with an ace, while kills from Harvey and Scires gave the Falcons an early 4-3 lead. The Aztecs used a 4-1 run to go up 7-5, but back-to-back kills from Tschuor gave the advantage back to Air Force (9-8). San Diego State used a 3-0 run to retake the lead and build on its advantage as the set continued. Russ tallied a kill and block (Tschuor), but the Aztecs evened the set with a 25-17 win.
The teams traded the first six points of the third set, with Harvey (two) and Scires putting down kills for the three-all tie. The Aztecs broke the back-and-forth scoring with a 5-1 run that doubled-up the Falcons 8-4. Air Force pulled within one (8-7) following a Russ/Tschuor block, a Harvey kill, and an ace from Suan. Another kill from Harvey – and her record-setting block (Scires with the assist) – tied the set at 11, but San Diego State scored eight of the next 10 to break open the scoring. Russ tallied a kill and teamed up with Reinkensmeyer for a block on back-to-back plays, but the Aztecs used a 5-1 run to go up 24-16. Four-straight points from Air Force, including a kill from sophomore Savanah Johnson, who grew up in nearby Chula Vista, held San Diego State at set-point, but the Aztecs scored the final point for the 25-20 win.
A pair of kills from Scires and a successful challenge from head coach Keith Barnett helped the Falcons play to a five-all tie in the opening minutes of the fourth set. The Aztecs rattled off the next six scores to take an 11-5 lead, before Johnson, Bible and senior Amber Soto put down kills in three-straight plays (8-11). A pair of strikes from Harvey brought the Falcons within one (12-13), while two more kills from the senior, as well as well as a kill and solo stop from Russ, tied the set at 17. Kills from Harvey and Bible pushed the Falcons' advantage out to three (22-19), while a Johnson kill, a Harvey/Scires block and a Reinkensmeyer ace gave Air Force the 25-20 win that evened the match at two sets apiece.
Three kills from Tschuor, as well as a kill and block from Russ, gave Air Force an early 5-2 lead in the deciding set, but the Aztecs took the lead (6-5) four plays later. Russ added a kill, but the teams switched sides with the Aztecs holding an 8-6 advantage. Bible and Johnson helped tie the set at nine, while an errant attack by San Diego State gave Air Force a 10-9 advantage. The Aztecs pulled within one at 13-12, but a pair of kills from Tschuor gave Air Force the 15-13 comeback win – its first victory at Peterson Gym since 2015 and just the second in the all-time series.
Air Force closes out this week's road trip on Saturday (Oct. 7), when it travels to Las Vegas to take on UNLV at 1:00 p.m. (PT) inside Cox Pavilion.
Team Stats
AFA
SDSU
Kills
61
77
Errors
17
28
Attempts
152
161
Hitting %
.289
.304
Points
73.0
84.0
Assists
59
75
Aces
3
4
Blocks
9.0
3.0
Game Leaders
Kills
17
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballMB/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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