Friday, September 8
Santa Clara, CA
11:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
vs
CSU Bakersfield
Photo by: Justin Pacheco
Air Force Set for Santa Clara Mission Classic
9/6/2023 11:46:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Air Force volleyball team, fresh off an undefeated weekend at the Gonzaga Invitational, heads to California this weekend to face Cal State Bakersfield, Santa Clara, and Saint Mary's at the Santa Clara Mission Classic in California on Sept. 8-9.
MATCH INFORMATION
The Santa Clara Mission Classic will take place at the Leavey Center on the Broncos' campus in Santa Clara. There will be live stats for all three of the Falcons' matches, while their contests against Santa Clara and Saint Mary's will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
MATCH 07 | SEPT 8 | 10:00 AM (PT)
Air Force vs Cal State Bakersfield | Live Stats
MATCH 08 | SEPT 8 | 7:00 PM (PT)
Air Force at Santa Clara | Live Stats | ESPN+
MATCH 09 | SEPT 9 | 11:30 AM (PT)
Air Force vs Saint Mary's | Live Stats | ESPN+
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Cal State Bakersfield is 3-3 after splitting the opening two weekends of the season, going undefeated at their home tournament on Aug 25-26 and losing all three matches of the Lobo Invitational on Aug 31-Sept 2. Tournament host Santa Clara is 6-1 on the season, following a midweek sweep at Princeton on Sept. 5. Previously, the Broncos won the season-opening tournament they cohosted with San Jose State on Aug 25-27, before splitting the Catholic Challenge on Sept. 2-3. Saint Mary's, which will travel to Cal on Sept. 6, is undefeated on the year, winning the Wildcat Invitational and earning victories over Southern Utah, Portland State, and Sacramento State.
BY THE NUMBERS
Air Force is 7-3 all-time against Cal State Bakersfield, while holding a 2-1 ledger at the Division I ledger. The Falcons have faced Santa Clara just once – a five-set loss at the Academy in 2019 – and are 0-2 against Saint Mary's, with the most recent setback coming on the road in Moraga during the 2013 season.
BLOCK PARTY – NCAA STYLE
The Falcons are ranked 21st in the NCAA with a 2.86 blocks per set average following two strong weekends at the net. The squad's 93 assisted blocks are the 17th-most in the nation, while their 25 solo stops are eighth. Individually, Mac Russ's 1.42 blocks-per-set average is ranked 37th in the NCAA, while her 14.0 total blocks against UT Arlington are tied for the best single-match outing of the season.
TOURNAMENT RECOGNITION
Joi Harvey was named the MVP of the Gonzaga Invitational, while she and Mac Russ were named to the all-tournament team.
WINNER, WINNER
Following its perfect 3-0 weekend in Spokane, Air Force captured the team title at the Gonzaga Invitational. It is the third tournament title in the last two seasons for the Falcons – who won just one tournament in the previous seven years (2016 Sawyer Camillo Memorial Classic). It is also just the third time Air Force has won a tournament on the road at the DI level (2023 Gonzaga Invitational, 2022 Brown Invitational, 2016 Sawyer Camillo Memorial Classic).
RUNNING INTO A WALL
Averaging 1.08 blocks per set, Joi Harvey controlled the net during the Falcons undefeated weekend at the Gonzaga Invitational and used those stops to impact the Academy's all-time standings. She became the fourth Division I Falcon to record over 250 assisted blocks, took over the Air Force lead for total blocks in the 25-point scoring era and tied her own single-match solo blocking record in the 25-point era with a four-stop performance against Idaho on Sept. 2.
GOING OUT IN DOMINATING STYLE
Air Force completed the sweep of Idaho on Sept 2 with a dominating 25-7 victory in the final set. It was just the second time in the rally scoring era (since 2000) that Air Force has held its opponent to single digits in a set. Air Force first earned a sub-10 opponent score during a 25-9 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore in 2018, making the Falcons' seven-point defensive stand against the Vandals on Sept. 2 the program's largest margin of victory.
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force wraps up the non-conference slate next weekend, when they travel to Wisconsin for a pair of road meets. The Falcons will face Milwaukee on Friday, Sept. 15, before competing at Marquette on Saturday, Sept. 16.
MATCH INFORMATION
The Santa Clara Mission Classic will take place at the Leavey Center on the Broncos' campus in Santa Clara. There will be live stats for all three of the Falcons' matches, while their contests against Santa Clara and Saint Mary's will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
MATCH 07 | SEPT 8 | 10:00 AM (PT)
Air Force vs Cal State Bakersfield | Live Stats
MATCH 08 | SEPT 8 | 7:00 PM (PT)
Air Force at Santa Clara | Live Stats | ESPN+
MATCH 09 | SEPT 9 | 11:30 AM (PT)
Air Force vs Saint Mary's | Live Stats | ESPN+
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Cal State Bakersfield is 3-3 after splitting the opening two weekends of the season, going undefeated at their home tournament on Aug 25-26 and losing all three matches of the Lobo Invitational on Aug 31-Sept 2. Tournament host Santa Clara is 6-1 on the season, following a midweek sweep at Princeton on Sept. 5. Previously, the Broncos won the season-opening tournament they cohosted with San Jose State on Aug 25-27, before splitting the Catholic Challenge on Sept. 2-3. Saint Mary's, which will travel to Cal on Sept. 6, is undefeated on the year, winning the Wildcat Invitational and earning victories over Southern Utah, Portland State, and Sacramento State.
BY THE NUMBERS
Air Force is 7-3 all-time against Cal State Bakersfield, while holding a 2-1 ledger at the Division I ledger. The Falcons have faced Santa Clara just once – a five-set loss at the Academy in 2019 – and are 0-2 against Saint Mary's, with the most recent setback coming on the road in Moraga during the 2013 season.
BLOCK PARTY – NCAA STYLE
The Falcons are ranked 21st in the NCAA with a 2.86 blocks per set average following two strong weekends at the net. The squad's 93 assisted blocks are the 17th-most in the nation, while their 25 solo stops are eighth. Individually, Mac Russ's 1.42 blocks-per-set average is ranked 37th in the NCAA, while her 14.0 total blocks against UT Arlington are tied for the best single-match outing of the season.
TOURNAMENT RECOGNITION
Joi Harvey was named the MVP of the Gonzaga Invitational, while she and Mac Russ were named to the all-tournament team.
WINNER, WINNER
Following its perfect 3-0 weekend in Spokane, Air Force captured the team title at the Gonzaga Invitational. It is the third tournament title in the last two seasons for the Falcons – who won just one tournament in the previous seven years (2016 Sawyer Camillo Memorial Classic). It is also just the third time Air Force has won a tournament on the road at the DI level (2023 Gonzaga Invitational, 2022 Brown Invitational, 2016 Sawyer Camillo Memorial Classic).
RUNNING INTO A WALL
Averaging 1.08 blocks per set, Joi Harvey controlled the net during the Falcons undefeated weekend at the Gonzaga Invitational and used those stops to impact the Academy's all-time standings. She became the fourth Division I Falcon to record over 250 assisted blocks, took over the Air Force lead for total blocks in the 25-point scoring era and tied her own single-match solo blocking record in the 25-point era with a four-stop performance against Idaho on Sept. 2.
GOING OUT IN DOMINATING STYLE
Air Force completed the sweep of Idaho on Sept 2 with a dominating 25-7 victory in the final set. It was just the second time in the rally scoring era (since 2000) that Air Force has held its opponent to single digits in a set. Air Force first earned a sub-10 opponent score during a 25-9 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore in 2018, making the Falcons' seven-point defensive stand against the Vandals on Sept. 2 the program's largest margin of victory.
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force wraps up the non-conference slate next weekend, when they travel to Wisconsin for a pair of road meets. The Falcons will face Milwaukee on Friday, Sept. 15, before competing at Marquette on Saturday, Sept. 16.
Players Mentioned
MB
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