Friday, September 1
Spokane, WA
11:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
vs
UC San Diego
Photo by: Justin Pacheco
Falcons Hit the Road for Gonzaga Invitational
8/30/2023 10:32:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Air Force volleyball team begins a four-week stretch of road contests this weekend, when it travels to Spokane, Wash., to face Gonzaga, Idaho, and UC San Diego at the Gonzaga Invitational on Sept. 1-2.
MATCH INFORMATION
The Gonzaga Invitational, which includes Air Force, Gonzaga, Idaho, and UC San Diego, will take place at the Charlotte Y. Martin Center on the Bulldogs' campus in Spokane. There will be live stats for all three of the Falcons' matches, while their Friday contest against the host team will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
MATCH 04 | SEPT 1 | 10:00 AM (PT)
Air Force vs UC San Diego | Live Stats
MATCH 05 | SEPT 1 | 6:00 PM (PT)
Air Force at Gonzaga | Live Stats | ESPN+
MATCH 06 | SEPT 2 | 3:00 PM (PT)
Air Force vs Idaho | Live Stats
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
UC San Diego is 2-1 on the short season, while Idaho and Gonzaga are both 1-2 after the opening weekend. UCSD defeated Fresno State and Kent State by 3-1 scores, before falling to Butler at the Bulldog Brawl in Indianapolis, while Gonzaga swept Purdue Fort Wayne and dropped 3-0 decisions to Oklahoma and Ball State at the BSU Tournament in Muncie. Like Air Force, Idaho opened the season at home, falling to Seattle (0-3) and North Dakota State (1-3) before sweeping UC Riverside at the Vandal Volleyball Invitational.
BY THE NUMBERS
This will be the fourth meeting between Air Force and Gonzaga since 2017, with the Bulldogs holding a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. The programs last met in Spokane during the 2021 season – a 17-25, 24-26, 25-22, 19-25 win by the host team. Air Force is 0-1 against UC San Diego after falling to the Trojans at the Academy last season and the Falcons have never faced Idaho.
BLOCK PARTY – NCAA STYLE
The Falcons are ranked ninth in the NCAA with a 3.29 blocks per set average following their strong weekend at the net during the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic. The squad's 63 assisted blocks are the sixth-most in the nation, while their eighth solo stops are listed eighth. Individually, Mac Russ's 2.09 blocks-per-set average is ranked fourth in the NCAA – second amongst non-Power 5 teams, while her 14.0 total blocks – and 12 assisted stops – against UT Arlington are tied for the best single-match outing of the season.
THE MAC ATTACK
Totaling 14 stops against UT Arlington on Aug 26, Mac Russ tied the Falcons' Division I record for single-match blocks – a mark Piper Heineck first set against San Diego State in 2017. Russ recorded two solo and 12 assisted stops during the five-set thriller – the assisted tally just one shy of the program's all-time mark.
JOINING ELITE COMPANY
With her 19th stop of the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic, Joi Harvey became the fourth Falcon at the Division I level to record at least 300 blocks in a career, joining Summer Koons (404), Kristen Hamlett (341) and Piper Heineck (314).
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force heads to California next weekend to face CSU Bakersfield, Santa Clara, and Saint Mary's at the Santa Clara Mission Classic on Sept. 8-9.
MATCH INFORMATION
The Gonzaga Invitational, which includes Air Force, Gonzaga, Idaho, and UC San Diego, will take place at the Charlotte Y. Martin Center on the Bulldogs' campus in Spokane. There will be live stats for all three of the Falcons' matches, while their Friday contest against the host team will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
MATCH 04 | SEPT 1 | 10:00 AM (PT)
Air Force vs UC San Diego | Live Stats
MATCH 05 | SEPT 1 | 6:00 PM (PT)
Air Force at Gonzaga | Live Stats | ESPN+
MATCH 06 | SEPT 2 | 3:00 PM (PT)
Air Force vs Idaho | Live Stats
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
UC San Diego is 2-1 on the short season, while Idaho and Gonzaga are both 1-2 after the opening weekend. UCSD defeated Fresno State and Kent State by 3-1 scores, before falling to Butler at the Bulldog Brawl in Indianapolis, while Gonzaga swept Purdue Fort Wayne and dropped 3-0 decisions to Oklahoma and Ball State at the BSU Tournament in Muncie. Like Air Force, Idaho opened the season at home, falling to Seattle (0-3) and North Dakota State (1-3) before sweeping UC Riverside at the Vandal Volleyball Invitational.
BY THE NUMBERS
This will be the fourth meeting between Air Force and Gonzaga since 2017, with the Bulldogs holding a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. The programs last met in Spokane during the 2021 season – a 17-25, 24-26, 25-22, 19-25 win by the host team. Air Force is 0-1 against UC San Diego after falling to the Trojans at the Academy last season and the Falcons have never faced Idaho.
BLOCK PARTY – NCAA STYLE
The Falcons are ranked ninth in the NCAA with a 3.29 blocks per set average following their strong weekend at the net during the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic. The squad's 63 assisted blocks are the sixth-most in the nation, while their eighth solo stops are listed eighth. Individually, Mac Russ's 2.09 blocks-per-set average is ranked fourth in the NCAA – second amongst non-Power 5 teams, while her 14.0 total blocks – and 12 assisted stops – against UT Arlington are tied for the best single-match outing of the season.
THE MAC ATTACK
Totaling 14 stops against UT Arlington on Aug 26, Mac Russ tied the Falcons' Division I record for single-match blocks – a mark Piper Heineck first set against San Diego State in 2017. Russ recorded two solo and 12 assisted stops during the five-set thriller – the assisted tally just one shy of the program's all-time mark.
JOINING ELITE COMPANY
With her 19th stop of the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic, Joi Harvey became the fourth Falcon at the Division I level to record at least 300 blocks in a career, joining Summer Koons (404), Kristen Hamlett (341) and Piper Heineck (314).
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force heads to California next weekend to face CSU Bakersfield, Santa Clara, and Saint Mary's at the Santa Clara Mission Classic on Sept. 8-9.
Players Mentioned
MB
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