Air Force Falls to Denver in Rematch

DENVER, Colo. – Despite two close sets, the Air Force volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to Denver on Thursday, Sept. 12, during the second night of a home-and-home series with the Pioneers that began earlier this week at the Academy. Tonight, facing Denver on their home floor inside Hamilton Gymnasium, the Falcons dropped the rematch by 23-25, 9-25, 24-26 scores.

Senior Ella Tschuor led the Falcons with 10 kills on .290 hitting, while classmate Mekayla Dedo added nine kills with a .209 efficiency. Dedo, along with freshman Lainie Stapleton and sophomore Anna Leahy, also led the team in blocks, as the trio each accounted for two assisted stops. Junior Jordan Suan added 14 digs and one of the team's two service aces (junior Ashley Bible had the other), while freshman Mia Loyd rounded out the stat leaders with 19 assists.

Bible opened the contest with an ace, while kills from Dedo, Tschuor, and freshman Grace Fiaseu put down kills to tie the set at seven. Another strike by Tschuor, as well as a kill from sophomore Annamaria Ramos, helped to even the set at 10, while Stapleton gave Air Force the lead at 12-11. Dedo added a pair of kills to give the Falcons a two-point advantage at the 14-12 mark, but the Pioneers responded with a short run to take a two-point lead of their own (19-17). Bible and Stapleton returned the advantage to Air Force three plays later (20-19), while Dedo and Ramos allowed the Falcons to tie the set at 23 – but Denver tallied the final two scores for the 25-23 win.

Dedo came out strong in the second, recording the first two points and helping Air Force to a quick 4-2 lead. Denver used a 13-2 run to take control, with Tschuor providing the Falcons' scores. Although Air Force benefitted from three Denver errors, the Pioneers rolled to the 25-9 win.

Air Force and Denver traded points in a back-and-forth third that included 15 ties. Fiaseu and sophomore Anna Leahy teamed up for a block to tie the set at two, while another block – this time from Dedo and Stapleton – gave Air Force a 5-4 lead. Leahy posted her first collegiate kill to tie the set at 10, while a strike from Stapleton gave Air Force a one-point lead at the 13-12 mark. Denver used a quick three-point swing to go up 15-13, before a kill from Tschuor and another Fiaseu/Leahy block tied the set at 16. Another run by the Pioneers was promptly followed by another comeback by the Falcons, as the Falcons pulled within one (20-21) following two kills from Dedo and a block from Bible and Stapleton. Kills from Tschuor tied the set at 23- and 24-all, but the Pioneers earned the final two points to take the set by another narrow margin (26-24).

Air Force will close out the Mile High Classic tomorrow (Sept. 13), when it returns to Hamilton Gym to face Norther Colorado at 2:00 p.m. (MT).

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Team Stats

Ella Tschuor

Mekayla Dedo

Lainie Stapleton

Ashley Bible

Players Mentioned

Ashley Bible

Mekayla Dedo

Grace Fiaseu

Anna Leahy

Mia Loyd

Annamaria Ramos

Lainie Stapleton

Jordan Suan

Ella Tschuor

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