Saturday, August 26
USAFA
12:30 pm MT
Air Force Academy
2-0,0-0Mountain West
3
vs
1
Bryant
0-2,0-0America East
1
2
3
4
F
Bryant
12
17
26
20
1
Air Force
25
25
24
25
3
Photo by: Justin Pacheco
Air Force Downs Bryant on Saturday Afternoon
8/26/2023 4:18:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – Backed by a stellar day on the court from junior Mekayla Dedo, the Air Force volleyball team improved to 2-0 on the short season with a 3-1 victory over Bryant this afternoon (Aug. 26) at the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic.
Dedo led the Falcons with a match-high 12 kills on .435 hitting (12-2-23), while also posting a match-best six blocks. The junior was one of three Falcons to register double-digit kill totals against the Bulldogs, as classmate Ella Tschuor and senior Joi Harvey recorded 10 kills apiece. The trio also helped Air Force to 12.5 total blocks, as six different Falcons recorded multiple blocks. Tschuor added two of the Falcons' three service aces, while sophomore Jordan Suan led the match with 14 digs and senior Caroline Reinkensmeyer earned her first double-double of the year with 28 assists and 10 digs.
As a team, the Falcons outhit the visiting Bulldogs more than 200 points (.291-.070), while holding a 53-43 advantage in kills and a 12.5-3.0 lead in blocking.
A pair of points from Tschuor put the Falcons on the board first – marking the second-straight match where the junior has led off scoring with back-to-back scores. Kills from Russ and Harvey helped the Falcons push their advantage to 6-1, while back-to-back strikes from Harvey and Tschuor extended the lead to 9-3. Tschuor continued to score for the Falcons, posting a kill and block (with Russ) that extended Air Force's margin to eight (15-7) and sent Bryant into a timeout. Russ put down a pair of kills, while Harvey and Dedo teamed up for back-to-back blocks – the former joined by sophomore Ashley Bible for the squad's first triple stop of the year – as Air Force took a 10-point lead (21-11). The Dedo/Harvey block struck again as Air Force rolled to a 25-12 victory.
Bryant struck first in the second set, but Air Force quickly turned a 5-2 deficit into an 8-5 lead following a 6-0 run that included three kills (Bible, Dedo, Harvey), another Dedo/Harvey block and Tschuor's second ace of the day. The teams traded the next seven points, with Russ accounting for three of the Falcons' four scores that gave Air Force a 15-10 lead. The Bulldogs pulled within two at 19-17, but Russ and senior Aaryn Scires tallied kills and teamed up for a block as Air Force used another 6-0 run to close out the set and give Air Force the 25-17 win.
A pair of strikes from Scires, as well a block from Bible and Russ, helped Air Force jump out to a quick 4-1 lead, while another Bible kill and a Harvey strike pushed the Falcons' advantage to 7-3. Despite a pair of kills from Dedo, the Bulldogs used a 5-1 run to tie the set at 11. Another strike from Dedo gave the lead back to Air Force (12-11), while scores from Scires, Russ and sophomore Greta Hans pushed the Falcons' lead to three (17-14). Another run by the visitors gave Bryant at 20-19 lead, and despite responding scores from Tschuor (kill), Dedo (kill, block with Russ) and Russ (block with Dedo) that put the Falcons at match-point (24-22), the Bulldogs scored four-straight points to take the 26-24 decision.
A kill and block from Dedo (assisted by Scires) helped Air Force take an early 4-1 lead in the opening minutes of the fourth set. The Bulldogs tied the set at seven, but two kills and a block by Tschuor (assisted by Scires) allowed Air Force to break the tie and take a 12-8 lead. Dedo scored three of the Falcons' next four points (16-12), while a kill from Harvey helped push the advantage to five (19-14). Bryant cut the lead to two (20-18) following a 3-0 run, but Air Force responded with a 3-0 run of its own following a strike from Tschuor and back-to-back kills from Dedo. (23-18). The Bulldogs tallied two more points, but kills from Scries and Bible gave Air Force the 25-20 and its second overall win in as many matches.
The Falcons close out their season-opening weekend later tonight when they host UT Arlington in the final contest of the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic. Action is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. (or 30 minutes after the conclusion the previous match).
Dedo led the Falcons with a match-high 12 kills on .435 hitting (12-2-23), while also posting a match-best six blocks. The junior was one of three Falcons to register double-digit kill totals against the Bulldogs, as classmate Ella Tschuor and senior Joi Harvey recorded 10 kills apiece. The trio also helped Air Force to 12.5 total blocks, as six different Falcons recorded multiple blocks. Tschuor added two of the Falcons' three service aces, while sophomore Jordan Suan led the match with 14 digs and senior Caroline Reinkensmeyer earned her first double-double of the year with 28 assists and 10 digs.
As a team, the Falcons outhit the visiting Bulldogs more than 200 points (.291-.070), while holding a 53-43 advantage in kills and a 12.5-3.0 lead in blocking.
A pair of points from Tschuor put the Falcons on the board first – marking the second-straight match where the junior has led off scoring with back-to-back scores. Kills from Russ and Harvey helped the Falcons push their advantage to 6-1, while back-to-back strikes from Harvey and Tschuor extended the lead to 9-3. Tschuor continued to score for the Falcons, posting a kill and block (with Russ) that extended Air Force's margin to eight (15-7) and sent Bryant into a timeout. Russ put down a pair of kills, while Harvey and Dedo teamed up for back-to-back blocks – the former joined by sophomore Ashley Bible for the squad's first triple stop of the year – as Air Force took a 10-point lead (21-11). The Dedo/Harvey block struck again as Air Force rolled to a 25-12 victory.
Bryant struck first in the second set, but Air Force quickly turned a 5-2 deficit into an 8-5 lead following a 6-0 run that included three kills (Bible, Dedo, Harvey), another Dedo/Harvey block and Tschuor's second ace of the day. The teams traded the next seven points, with Russ accounting for three of the Falcons' four scores that gave Air Force a 15-10 lead. The Bulldogs pulled within two at 19-17, but Russ and senior Aaryn Scires tallied kills and teamed up for a block as Air Force used another 6-0 run to close out the set and give Air Force the 25-17 win.
A pair of strikes from Scires, as well a block from Bible and Russ, helped Air Force jump out to a quick 4-1 lead, while another Bible kill and a Harvey strike pushed the Falcons' advantage to 7-3. Despite a pair of kills from Dedo, the Bulldogs used a 5-1 run to tie the set at 11. Another strike from Dedo gave the lead back to Air Force (12-11), while scores from Scires, Russ and sophomore Greta Hans pushed the Falcons' lead to three (17-14). Another run by the visitors gave Bryant at 20-19 lead, and despite responding scores from Tschuor (kill), Dedo (kill, block with Russ) and Russ (block with Dedo) that put the Falcons at match-point (24-22), the Bulldogs scored four-straight points to take the 26-24 decision.
A kill and block from Dedo (assisted by Scires) helped Air Force take an early 4-1 lead in the opening minutes of the fourth set. The Bulldogs tied the set at seven, but two kills and a block by Tschuor (assisted by Scires) allowed Air Force to break the tie and take a 12-8 lead. Dedo scored three of the Falcons' next four points (16-12), while a kill from Harvey helped push the advantage to five (19-14). Bryant cut the lead to two (20-18) following a 3-0 run, but Air Force responded with a 3-0 run of its own following a strike from Tschuor and back-to-back kills from Dedo. (23-18). The Bulldogs tallied two more points, but kills from Scries and Bible gave Air Force the 25-20 and its second overall win in as many matches.
The Falcons close out their season-opening weekend later tonight when they host UT Arlington in the final contest of the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic. Action is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. (or 30 minutes after the conclusion the previous match).
Team Stats
BRY
USAFA
Kills
43
53
Errors
34
19
Attempts
128
117
Hitting %
.070
.291
Points
50.0
68.5
Assists
38
48
Aces
4
3
Blocks
3
12.5
Game Leaders
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
6
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
10
Aces
2
Blocks
3
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballMB/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballOH
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