Falcons Suffer 3-1 Setback to Utah State

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – Despite a season-high night of blocking, the Air Force volleyball team suffered a 24-26, 14-25, 25-20, 19-25 loss to Utah State this evening (Nov 7) at the Academy. Six different Falcons got a hand on an Aggies' attack, as Air Force totaled 13 stops (four solo, 18 assisted) during the four-set contest inside Cadet East Gym.

Sophomore Anna Leahy and freshman Grace Fiaseu paced the Falcons with five stops apiece. Leahy tallied two solo and three assisted blocks during her career-best night at the net, while Fiaseu accounted for one solo stop and assisted on four more. Classmate Brooksie Isham and junior Alex Hatchett each tallied four blocks (all assisted), while senior Ella Tschuor had three (one solo, two assisted) and junior Ashley Bible assisted on one stop.

With the Falcons previous blocking-high of 12 coming last week at San Jose State, Air Force has now accounted for 25 total stops (six solo, 38 assisted) in their last two Thursday night matches.

Air Force also had a solid night from the serving line, tallying seven aces for their third-best single-match performance of the year. Bible led the team with three aces, while Tschuor served up two and the duo of Fiaseu and junior Jordan Suan each added one. Elsewhere, Tschuor led the team in kills (15), while Fiaseu posted a match-hbest .692 in hitting (9-0-13) and Suan recorded a team-high 12 digs. The Falcons' setters – freshman Mia Loyd and senior Ellie Eichhorn – both accounted for 16 assists to round out the team's scoring leaders.

Backed by a Bible/Fiaseu stop on Air Force's first point of the night (1-1), the Falcons out-blocked the Aggies by an 8-1 margin in the opening frame. Tschuor put down a kill to even the set at three, but Utah State scored five of the next six points to double-up the Falcons at the 8-4 mark. The Aggies pushed their advantage to seven (14-7), but the Falcons stormed back to pull within one eight plays later. Isham put down a kill and assisted on three blocks (Fiaseu, Hatchett, Tschuor) during that run, as Air Force cut the Aggies' lead to 15-14. Tschuor responded to a quick three-point swing by Utah State by putting down a pair of kills (16-18), while her ace brought the Falcons back within one (18-19). A block from Hatchett and Leahy kept the Falcons within one (19-20), while kills from the sophomore and Fiaseu tied the set at 21. Back-to-back kills from Bible and Tschuor evened the set at 23, and a block from Tschuor and Fiaseu tied the set at 24, but Utah State scored the final two points for the 26-24 win.

A kill and ace from Bible put the Falcons on the board first in the second set (2-0), while strikes from Isham and Hatchett helped Air Force take a 5-2 advantage. The Falcons maintained their lead off a kill from Tschuor (6-4) and a block from Leahy and Hatchett (7-4), but Utah State came back to tie the set at seven and eventually take a 10-8 lead. Fiaseu and Bible put the Falcons in double figures (10-12), but the Aggies extended their lead and took a 15-11 advantage into the media timeout. Utha State continued to extend its lead and, despite a pair of kills from Tschuor, won the second set by a 25-14 margin.

Utah State struck first in the third and took a 4-2 lead, but Air Force quickly tied the set at four behind a kill from Tschuor. A strike from Hatchett evened the score at five, while a kill from Bible gave Air Force its first lead of the set at 7-6. The teams traded points with Fiaseu (8-7, 9-8) maintaining the Falcons' advantage. A pair of attacking errors by the Aggies extended the Falcons' lead to three (11-8), while Tschuor accounted for three of the Falcons' next four points for a 15-13 lead. A kill and solo stop from both Fiaseu and Leahy headlined a 6-0 run by the Falcons that advanced their lead to seven at the 21-14 mark. The Aggies cut their deficit to three (20-23), but a kill from Tschuor helped secure the Falcons' 25-20 win.

Fiaseu put down the opening point in the fourth, but Utah State quickly raced out to a fast 7-2 lead. Tschuor stopped the run with a kill, while a service ace by the senior pulled the Falcons within one (7-8). Suan evened the set a nine with an ace, but Utah State retook the lead on the next play and advanced their lead out to four by the 14-10 mark. Fiaseu (kill) and Bible (ace) brought the Falcons within one (13-14), while another strike maintained that deficit at 14-15. The Aggies took a 17-14 lead, but Air Force tied the score three plays later behind another block from Leahy and Hatchett. The sophomore added one more kill at 18-21, but Utah State closed out the set – and the match -with the 25-19 win.

The Falcons remain at the Academy this Saturday (Nov. 9), when they host Nevada at 1:00 p.m. (MT) iin the penultimate home match of the year at Cadet East Gym.

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Team Stats

Ella Tschuor

Grace Fiaseu

Ashley Bible

Anna Leahy

Players Mentioned

Ashley Bible

Ellie Eichhorn

Grace Fiaseu

Alex Hatchett

Brooksie Isham

Anna Leahy

Mia Loyd

Jordan Suan

Ella Tschuor

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