Friday, September 8
Santa Clara, CA
11:00 am MT
Air Force Academy
6-1,0-0Mountain West
3
vs
2
CSU Bakersfield
3-4,0-0Big West
1
2
3
4
5
F
CSU Bakersfield
25
27
18
17
7
2
Air Force
21
25
25
25
15
3
Photo by: Justin Pacheco
Falcons Storm Back for 3-2 Victory over CSUB
9/8/2023 4:48:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The Air Force volleyball team picked up a wild come-from-behind victory over Cal State Bakersfield to open the Santa Clara Mission Classic this morning (Sept. 8), rallying from an 0-2 deficit (21-25, 25-27) to soundly defeat the Roadrunners 25-18, 25-17, 15-7 over the final three sets.
Backed by double-digit kills, senior Joi Harvey (15), classmate Aaryn Scires (14) and sophomore Ashley Bible (11) combined for 40 of the team's 60 strikes, as the Falcons outhit the Roadrunners by 11 kills (60-49) and 160 points (252-092). Bible also tied junior Mac Russ for the team lead in blocks (two solo, three assisted for each), while freshman Sophia Dasilva tallied three aces, senior Caroline Reinkensmeyer registered 23 assists, and sophomore Jordan Suan rounded out the stat leaders with a career-high 22 digs.
Bible scored the Falcons' first two offensive points (kill, ace), as Air Force went back-and-forth with the Roadrunners for a 5-5 tie. Following a three-point run by CSUB that sent Air Force into a timeout trailing 8-11, the Falcons clawed back, with Russ tallying three scores (solo block, kill, assisted block with junior Ella Tschuor) to give Air Force a 13-12 advantage. The teams returned to trading points, with the Falcons receiving scores from Tschuor, Scires, and Harvey into a tie at 18. Another kill and assisted block from Russ (with Bible) gave Air Force the 21-20 lead, but Bakersfield scored the final five points for the 25-21 win.
A pair of Scires' scores helped Air Force to a 3-1 start in the second set. After the Roadrunners tied the set at four, the teams resumed back-and-forth play, with ties at every stop through 12. Bakersfield scored four-straight points to take a 16-12 lead, but the Falcons came right back with five consecutive scores to take at 17-16 advantage. Tschuor (aces) and Bible (kills) tallied multiple points during the run, while Harvey teamed up for a block with sophomore Savanah Johnson. Following a tie at 17, Harvey (kill), Bible (solo block) and Dasilva (ace) helped Air Force take a five-point lead at the 22-18 mark, but CSU Bakersfield took control of the final minutes and, despite a pair of scores from Scires, came away with the 27-25 win.
Bible again put the Falcons on the board in the third set, while a pair of kills from Scires and solo scores from Harvey and Johnson kept Air Force within one (8-9). Blocks from Bible (solo), Russ (solo, assisted) and Scires (assisted) helped the Falcons turn a two-point deficit (9-11) into a two-point lead (13-11) during Air Force's five-point run. Russ and Harvey put down kills, while the Falcons forced the Roadrunners into several attacking errors and negative hitting for the set. Air Force extended its lead, thanks to blocks from Scires/Harvey (20-15) and freshman Annamaria Ramos (22-15), while a kill from junior Ellie Eichhorn and a service ace from Dasilva secured the Falcons' 25-18 victory.
Scires, Ramos and Harvey helped the Falcons take a 4-0 start to the fourth, while Johnson put down a score for a 6-2 lead. Bakersfield tied the set at six, before Harvey stopped the run with a kill. Bible and Russ pushed the Falcons' advantage to three (9-6), while scores from Scires, Ramos and Harvey kept CSUB from producing a set-tying score as the teams traded 10 straight points. Harvey's strike sparked a four-point swing by the Falcons that included kills from Johnson and Bible (17-12). A kill from Russ put the Falcons up 20-14, and Scires closed out the set with four of the Falcons' final five points for the 25-17 win.
Ramos put down the opening score of the deciding set, but the Roadrunners forced Air Force into an early timeout following four-straight points (1-4). The Falcons evened the set three scores later and a kill from Johnson gave Air Force its first lead of the set (6-5). Johnson's score was one of two for the sophomore during a 7-0 run that gave Air Force an 11-5 advantage and included kills from Eichhorn, Bible, and Harvey (two). The latter two added scores in the final plays, while an ace from Dasilva and a kill from Russ secured the Falcons' 15-7 win and five-set comeback victory – the squad's third five-set win in four matches.
Overall, the back-and-forth match featured 38 ties and 14 lead changes.
The Falcons return to the Leavey Center this evening (Sept 8) to face tournament host Santa Clara at 7:00 p.m. (PT). The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Backed by double-digit kills, senior Joi Harvey (15), classmate Aaryn Scires (14) and sophomore Ashley Bible (11) combined for 40 of the team's 60 strikes, as the Falcons outhit the Roadrunners by 11 kills (60-49) and 160 points (252-092). Bible also tied junior Mac Russ for the team lead in blocks (two solo, three assisted for each), while freshman Sophia Dasilva tallied three aces, senior Caroline Reinkensmeyer registered 23 assists, and sophomore Jordan Suan rounded out the stat leaders with a career-high 22 digs.
Bible scored the Falcons' first two offensive points (kill, ace), as Air Force went back-and-forth with the Roadrunners for a 5-5 tie. Following a three-point run by CSUB that sent Air Force into a timeout trailing 8-11, the Falcons clawed back, with Russ tallying three scores (solo block, kill, assisted block with junior Ella Tschuor) to give Air Force a 13-12 advantage. The teams returned to trading points, with the Falcons receiving scores from Tschuor, Scires, and Harvey into a tie at 18. Another kill and assisted block from Russ (with Bible) gave Air Force the 21-20 lead, but Bakersfield scored the final five points for the 25-21 win.
A pair of Scires' scores helped Air Force to a 3-1 start in the second set. After the Roadrunners tied the set at four, the teams resumed back-and-forth play, with ties at every stop through 12. Bakersfield scored four-straight points to take a 16-12 lead, but the Falcons came right back with five consecutive scores to take at 17-16 advantage. Tschuor (aces) and Bible (kills) tallied multiple points during the run, while Harvey teamed up for a block with sophomore Savanah Johnson. Following a tie at 17, Harvey (kill), Bible (solo block) and Dasilva (ace) helped Air Force take a five-point lead at the 22-18 mark, but CSU Bakersfield took control of the final minutes and, despite a pair of scores from Scires, came away with the 27-25 win.
Bible again put the Falcons on the board in the third set, while a pair of kills from Scires and solo scores from Harvey and Johnson kept Air Force within one (8-9). Blocks from Bible (solo), Russ (solo, assisted) and Scires (assisted) helped the Falcons turn a two-point deficit (9-11) into a two-point lead (13-11) during Air Force's five-point run. Russ and Harvey put down kills, while the Falcons forced the Roadrunners into several attacking errors and negative hitting for the set. Air Force extended its lead, thanks to blocks from Scires/Harvey (20-15) and freshman Annamaria Ramos (22-15), while a kill from junior Ellie Eichhorn and a service ace from Dasilva secured the Falcons' 25-18 victory.
Scires, Ramos and Harvey helped the Falcons take a 4-0 start to the fourth, while Johnson put down a score for a 6-2 lead. Bakersfield tied the set at six, before Harvey stopped the run with a kill. Bible and Russ pushed the Falcons' advantage to three (9-6), while scores from Scires, Ramos and Harvey kept CSUB from producing a set-tying score as the teams traded 10 straight points. Harvey's strike sparked a four-point swing by the Falcons that included kills from Johnson and Bible (17-12). A kill from Russ put the Falcons up 20-14, and Scires closed out the set with four of the Falcons' final five points for the 25-17 win.
Ramos put down the opening score of the deciding set, but the Roadrunners forced Air Force into an early timeout following four-straight points (1-4). The Falcons evened the set three scores later and a kill from Johnson gave Air Force its first lead of the set (6-5). Johnson's score was one of two for the sophomore during a 7-0 run that gave Air Force an 11-5 advantage and included kills from Eichhorn, Bible, and Harvey (two). The latter two added scores in the final plays, while an ace from Dasilva and a kill from Russ secured the Falcons' 15-7 win and five-set comeback victory – the squad's third five-set win in four matches.
Overall, the back-and-forth match featured 38 ties and 14 lead changes.
The Falcons return to the Leavey Center this evening (Sept 8) to face tournament host Santa Clara at 7:00 p.m. (PT). The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Team Stats
CSUB
USAFA
Kills
49
60
Errors
34
21
Attempts
163
155
Hitting %
.092
.252
Points
64.0
77.0
Assists
47
52
Aces
8
6
Blocks
7
11
Game Leaders
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
5
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
RS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballMB/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
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