Friday, August 30
USAFA
5:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Fordham
Volleyball's 'Donathan Era' Begins Friday with Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic
8/28/2024 1:42:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
The "Donathan Era" of Air Force Volleyball begins this weekend, as the Falcon kick off the 2024 campaign hosting the annual Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic at Cadet East Gym. Under the direction of first-year head coach Macey Donathan, Air Force will host Fordham on Aug. 30 and South Dakota on Sept. 1, while the two visitors will face off in a neutral site contest on Aug. 31.
MATCH INFORMATION
The Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic, which features Air Force, Fordham, and South Dkota, will kick off the 2024 campaign at the Academy's Cadet East Gym over the Aug. 30-Sept 1 weekend. Tickets can be purchased at AFTickets.com and the Academy's Clear Bag policy will be in effect. There will be live video and stats for all three matches, while Jason Carter and George Egan will be on the call for the two Air Force matches. Direct links can be found on the team's schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com. The matches will also be streamed on the Mountain West App (available on Android, IOS, Apple TV, Roku, and Android TV).
REMEMBERING AMY SVOBODA
This weekend's tournament is named after Amy Svoboda, a 1989 Academy graduate and four-year letterwinner on the Air Force volleyball team, who was killed during an A-10 training accident in 1997. Svoboda, who earned MVP honors during her senior season with the Falcons, was one of the first 14 female fighter pilots in the Air Force – and one of the first six to fly the A-10.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
This is the opening weekend of the 2024 season for all three teams. Fordham posted a 17-12 record in 2023, while South Dakota went 18-11 last year.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Falcons are just 2-1 against this weekend's opponents – with just one of those three contests coming this century. The Falcons swept Fordham at the Academy during their only prior meeting in 1999, while splitting their previous two matches with South Dakota – a 3-0 win from the Division II days (1990) and a 2-3 neutral site loss in Greeley, Colo., in 2017.
AIR FORCE IN OPENERS
The Falcons hold a 26-22 record in the first match of a new season – a tally that includes an 13-15 mark at the Division I level. Backed by four-straight victories, the Falcons are also 16-12 in home openers since joining Division I.
RECORD BOOK WATCH
Mac Russ enters the 2024 season ranked among Air Force's Division I Top 10 in all three career blocking categories – solo blocks (eighths, 45), assisted blocks (sixth, 247), and total blocks (sixth, 292). Those numbers also place her in the Top 5 of blocks during the modern (25-point) scoring era.
FALCONS PICKED 10TH IN PRESEASON POLL
Air Force was tabbed 10th in the annual Mountain West Preseason Coaches' Poll.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
The Falcons added seven talented newcomers – Bella Christensen, Grace Fiaseu, Brooksie Isham, Kiera King, Mia Loyd, Lainie Stapleton, Alysa Walker – to their lineup for the 2023 season.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Falcons will play 12 matches within the friendly confines of Cadet East Gym during the 2024 season. In addition to hosting nine conference opponents, Air Force will also welcome Fordham and South Dakota to the Academy for the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic on Aug. 30-Sept. 1, and host in-state rival Denver on Sept. 10.
THE LONG BLUE LINE
Mac Russ is continuing the family tradition of being an intercollegiate athlete at the Air Force Academy, as her mother Betsy (Class of 1994, volleyball), father Steve (Class of 1995, football), and aunt Rozi (Class of 2002, basketball) all played at the Academy. The Russ tradition will continue after her graduation in May, as her younger brother, Tyler, is a freshman at the Academy and member of the Falcons' baseball team.
THE WALKER CONNECTION
Alysa Walker is the younger sister of former Air Force men's basketball player and 2022 USAFA graduate AJ Walker.
WELCOME HOME!
Colorado Springs native Claire Felix is back in the Centennial State as an assistant for the Falcons, after spending the majority of her professional playing career overseas. Felix, who prepped at The Classical Academy and Lewis Palmer, was named The Colorado Springs Gazette's Player of the Year as a sophomore at TCA.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Mac Russ and Ella Tschuor will serve as the team captains for the 2024 season.
THE DONATHAN ERA
Macey Donathan is in her first season as the head coach of the Falcons' volleyball program. Donathan, who claimed AVCA All-America honors as a player at Arizona State and is the Sun Devils' all-time leader in career kills with 1882, was named Air Force's mentor in January 2024, after serving as an assistant coach at Arkansas, Arizona State, and Liberty. First-year Air Force assistants Claire Felix, Rachel Stallman, and Taylor Stallman will complete her coaching staff, while Elsa Krieg returns for her third season as the team's director of operations.
RECORD BOOK NOW AVAILABLE
The 2024 Air Force Volleyball record book is available online at GoAirForceFalcons.com.
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force hits the road next week, traveling to El Paso, Texas, for the Borderland Invitational – a three-day tournament that includes contests against Stephen F Austin (Sept. 5), UTEP (Sept. 6) and Southeastern Louisiana (Sept. 7).
MATCH INFORMATION
The Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic, which features Air Force, Fordham, and South Dkota, will kick off the 2024 campaign at the Academy's Cadet East Gym over the Aug. 30-Sept 1 weekend. Tickets can be purchased at AFTickets.com and the Academy's Clear Bag policy will be in effect. There will be live video and stats for all three matches, while Jason Carter and George Egan will be on the call for the two Air Force matches. Direct links can be found on the team's schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com. The matches will also be streamed on the Mountain West App (available on Android, IOS, Apple TV, Roku, and Android TV).
| DATE | TIME | MATCH | WATCH | LIVE STATS |
| 08.30 | 5:00 | Air Force vs Fordham | MWN | Statbroadcast |
| 08.31 | 5:00 | South Dakota vs Fordham | MWN | Statbroadcast |
| 09.01 | 2:00 | Air Force vs South Dakota | MWN | Statbroadcast |
| Air Force Volleyball Tournament Notes | ||||
REMEMBERING AMY SVOBODA
This weekend's tournament is named after Amy Svoboda, a 1989 Academy graduate and four-year letterwinner on the Air Force volleyball team, who was killed during an A-10 training accident in 1997. Svoboda, who earned MVP honors during her senior season with the Falcons, was one of the first 14 female fighter pilots in the Air Force – and one of the first six to fly the A-10.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
This is the opening weekend of the 2024 season for all three teams. Fordham posted a 17-12 record in 2023, while South Dakota went 18-11 last year.
BY THE NUMBERS
The Falcons are just 2-1 against this weekend's opponents – with just one of those three contests coming this century. The Falcons swept Fordham at the Academy during their only prior meeting in 1999, while splitting their previous two matches with South Dakota – a 3-0 win from the Division II days (1990) and a 2-3 neutral site loss in Greeley, Colo., in 2017.
AIR FORCE IN OPENERS
The Falcons hold a 26-22 record in the first match of a new season – a tally that includes an 13-15 mark at the Division I level. Backed by four-straight victories, the Falcons are also 16-12 in home openers since joining Division I.
RECORD BOOK WATCH
Mac Russ enters the 2024 season ranked among Air Force's Division I Top 10 in all three career blocking categories – solo blocks (eighths, 45), assisted blocks (sixth, 247), and total blocks (sixth, 292). Those numbers also place her in the Top 5 of blocks during the modern (25-point) scoring era.
FALCONS PICKED 10TH IN PRESEASON POLL
Air Force was tabbed 10th in the annual Mountain West Preseason Coaches' Poll.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
The Falcons added seven talented newcomers – Bella Christensen, Grace Fiaseu, Brooksie Isham, Kiera King, Mia Loyd, Lainie Stapleton, Alysa Walker – to their lineup for the 2023 season.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Falcons will play 12 matches within the friendly confines of Cadet East Gym during the 2024 season. In addition to hosting nine conference opponents, Air Force will also welcome Fordham and South Dakota to the Academy for the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic on Aug. 30-Sept. 1, and host in-state rival Denver on Sept. 10.
THE LONG BLUE LINE
Mac Russ is continuing the family tradition of being an intercollegiate athlete at the Air Force Academy, as her mother Betsy (Class of 1994, volleyball), father Steve (Class of 1995, football), and aunt Rozi (Class of 2002, basketball) all played at the Academy. The Russ tradition will continue after her graduation in May, as her younger brother, Tyler, is a freshman at the Academy and member of the Falcons' baseball team.
THE WALKER CONNECTION
Alysa Walker is the younger sister of former Air Force men's basketball player and 2022 USAFA graduate AJ Walker.
WELCOME HOME!
Colorado Springs native Claire Felix is back in the Centennial State as an assistant for the Falcons, after spending the majority of her professional playing career overseas. Felix, who prepped at The Classical Academy and Lewis Palmer, was named The Colorado Springs Gazette's Player of the Year as a sophomore at TCA.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Mac Russ and Ella Tschuor will serve as the team captains for the 2024 season.
THE DONATHAN ERA
Macey Donathan is in her first season as the head coach of the Falcons' volleyball program. Donathan, who claimed AVCA All-America honors as a player at Arizona State and is the Sun Devils' all-time leader in career kills with 1882, was named Air Force's mentor in January 2024, after serving as an assistant coach at Arkansas, Arizona State, and Liberty. First-year Air Force assistants Claire Felix, Rachel Stallman, and Taylor Stallman will complete her coaching staff, while Elsa Krieg returns for her third season as the team's director of operations.
RECORD BOOK NOW AVAILABLE
The 2024 Air Force Volleyball record book is available online at GoAirForceFalcons.com.
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force hits the road next week, traveling to El Paso, Texas, for the Borderland Invitational – a three-day tournament that includes contests against Stephen F Austin (Sept. 5), UTEP (Sept. 6) and Southeastern Louisiana (Sept. 7).
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballMacey Donathan Interview Sept 30, 2025
Tuesday, September 30
Falcons open up MW play with sweep of Nevada
Thursday, September 25
Macey Donathan Interview Sept 23, 2025
Tuesday, September 23
Utah Tech gives Falcons a loss in four sets
Saturday, September 20
