Friday, August 30
USAFA
5:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
1-0,0-0Mountain West
3
vs
0
Fordham
0-1,0-0Atlantic 10
1
2
3
F
Fordham
21
20
18
0
Air Force
25
25
25
3
Photo by: Justin Pacheco
Falcons Sweep Fordham for Season-Opening Victory
8/30/2024 8:58:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team opened the 2024 campaign with a three-set victory over Fordham in the opening match of the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic this evening (Aug. 30) at the Academy. With the 25-21, 25-20, 25-18 win over the visiting Rams, head coach Macey Donathan collected her first victory as a head coach and the program accounted for its fifth-straight home-opening win.
| MATCH HIGHLIGHTS |
| First head coaching win for Macey Donathan |
Holding a 215-105 edge in hitting over Fordham, Air Force was led by Mac Russ, who kicked off her senior season with a .750 outing, recording nine kills on 12 swings, with no errors. Classmate Ella Tschuor and junior Ashley Bible tallied eight kills each, while senior Mekayla Dedo added six, as the quartet accounted for 31 of the team's 39 kills. Russ and Dedo also led the team in blocks, with four assisted stops apiece, while freshman Grace Fiaseu tallied the Falcons' first solo stop of the year during a three-block night. Fellow freshman Mia Loyd (17) and junior Greta Hans (15) combined for most the team's 36 assists, while Loyd added 10 digs for her first collegiate double-double. Bibel posted a team-lead in digs with 13, while the Falcons out-aced the Rams 6-1, behind a pair of scoring serves from both Loyd and Dedo.
Tschuor recorded the Falcons' first kill of 2024, as she took a set from Loyd to give Air Force a 3-2 lead in the opening frame. The Rams tied the set at five (and six), before Dedo put down a score to break the tie and spark a 4-1 run that included an ace from Loyd. Fordham again tied the set at 10 and the teams traded the next several points, while a kill from sophomore Annamaria Ramos sent Air Force into the media timeout with a 15-14 advantage. The Falcons scored four of the first five points coming out of the break (19-15) backed by kills from Russ and Dedo, as well as a service ace from junior Jordan Suan. Fiaseu put the Falcons at 20, while scores from Tschuor (kill), Loyd (ace) and Russ (kill) gave Air Force the 25-21 win.
It was a back-and-forth start to the second set, with tied scores throughout the first eight points, before Fordham used a three-point swing to take a 7-4 lead. Tschuor stopped the run with a kill, but the Rams continued to hold a slim lead. Trailing 15-12 at the media break, Loyd (one) and Bible (two) teamed up for three kills, while a Russ/Dedo block tied the set at 16. Another stop from the pair gave the Falcons the lead and ignited a set-closing run by the Falcons. Ramos and Russ teamed up for a block at the 20-17 mark, while another stop – this time by Fiaseu and Dedo – extended the Falcons' lead to 22-18. After forcing Fordham into several miscues, a kill from Dedo secured the 25-20 comeback win.
The teams traded points in the opening minutes of the third, with Fiaseu and Bible helping Air Force to a three-all tie. A strike from Russ broke the tie, while an ace from Hans and back-to-back kills from Bible and Dedo helped Air Force take a 7-4 lead. Dedo teamed up with Russ for a block, while the latter added a kill that that upped the Falcons' advantage to four (9-5). Air Force continued to maintain its lead behind scores from Ramos (10-6), but the Rams pulled within two at the 11-9 mark. Tschuor (kill), Dedo (ace) and Bible (kill) highlighted a 3-0 run by Air Force to take a 15-9 lead into the media timeout. Fiaseu's solo block, as well as kills from Tschuor (one) and Russ (two) put the Falcons up seven at the 20-13 mark. Fiaseu and Tschuor teamed up for a block and both registered kills in the final points, while a service ace from Dedo secured the 25-16 set win and the 3-0 match win.
The win is the Falcons' fourth-straight at the Academy – a streak that dates back to October of last year.
The Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic continues tomorrow when Fordham faces South Dakota at 5:00 p.m., while Air Force returns to action on Sunday, Sept. 1, when they host the Coyotes at 2:00 p.m. (MT).
Team Stats
FU
USAFA
Kills
33
39
Errors
21
16
Attempts
114
107
Hitting %
.105
.215
Points
40.5
52.0
Assists
27
36
Aces
1
6
Blocks
6.5
7
Game Leaders
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
6
Aces
2
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ 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
