Air Force Snaps Skid with Four-Set Victory over Nevada

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team downed Nevada in 25-23, 25-22, 17-25, 25-22 sets this afternoon (Nov. 9) to snap a season-long 11-match losing skid and pick up its second Mountain West victory of the season.

Junior Ashley Bible's 14 kills led a trio of Falcons in double figures, as senior Ella Tschuor and sophomore Anna Leahy both tallied 12 (career high for Leahy). Junior Jordan Suan collected a season-high 23 digs, while a trio of freshmen rounded out the Falcons' stat leaders – Grace Fiaseu (.500 hitting, 8-1-14), Mia Loyd (22 assists, three service aces), Brooksie Isham (four blocks, all assisted).

Air Force had a strong start to the match, jumping out to a fast 9-2 start. Isham posted the opening point, while back-to-back kills from Leahy, as well as scores from Fiaseu and Tschuor. Strikes from Bible and Tschuor pushed the score to 11-5, but Nevada slowly cut into Air Force's advantage and pulled within three by the 15-12 mark. After the Wolfpack dropped their advantage to two at 16-14, a kill and block from Isham (assisted with junior Alex Hatchett) pushed the Falcons' advantage back to five (19-14). Leahy and Tschuor negated another short run by the Wolfpack, who pulled within two at 20-18 and 22-20. Hatchett (kill) and Suan (ace) brought the Falcons to set-point (24-20), while a kill from Leahy halted another Nevada run and secured Air Force the 25-23 win.

A block from Fiaseu and Isham, as well as kills from Bible and Tschuor helped Air Force out to a fast 5-1 start in the second. Isham added a kill to maintain a four-point lead for the Falcons (7-3), but Nevada came back to tie the set at eight and take a 12-9 lead. Isham (kill) and Loyd (ace) helped Air Force event the set at 12 and the team's traded the next few points, with Bible, Fiaseu, and Leahy securing a tie at 17-all. A pair of kills from Bible pushed the Falcons' lead to three (20-17), while a strike- f rom Leahy stretched it to four on the next play. Tschuor put down a kill at 24-21 and added another strike to guarantee the 25-22 win for the Falcons.

Back-to-back aces from Bible highlighted a 4-1 start for Air Force in the third, but Nevada came back to take a 7-6 lead, The Wolfpack extended their lead to four at 11-8 and, despite k two kills and a block from Isham (assisted with Fiaseu), maintained that advantage by the by the 16-12 mark. Nevada continued to lead and ultimately took the set 25-17.

An ace from Loyd kicked off the fourth set and the two teams traded points to a five-all tie. Nevada broke the back-and-forth game with a two-point swing, but Air Force quickly responded with a 4-0 run that included kills from Bible, Fiaseu and Isham – as well as another ace from Loyd. Air Force pushed its lead to four (14-10) off a serving error from Nevada, but the Wolfpack came back to tie the set at 18. Following a tie at 19, Bible and Fiaseu put down kills to give Air Force a 21-19 lead. The Wolfpack again evened the set (21), but two kills from Tschuor – as well as a service ace from senior Ellie Eichhorn closed out the 25-22 win and gave Air Force its first victory since Sept 28.

Air Force has a quick turnaround to open the week, as they travel to Albuquerque to face travel partner New Mexico for the MW Network's Tuesday Night Block Party on Nov. 12, before returning to the Academy for the home finale against Boise State on Nov. 16.

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