Air Force Starts Strong, but Falls to San Diego State

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team opened Mountain West play with a 3-1 setback to San Diego State in its return to the Academy on Thursday, Sept. 26. The Falcons kicked off the match with an easy 25-16 win in the first, but were unable to maintain that momentum, falling 12-25, 20-25, 13-25 in the remaining frames.

Junior Ashley Bible and senior Ella Tschuor both had a strong night on the floor, accounting for 12 kills apiece and combining for more than half of the team's 41 total strikes. Freshman Mian Loyd, who collected 19 assists on the night, registered her second double-double of the year after adding 10 digs to her stat line – a total she shared with junior Jordan Suan. Freshman Grace Fiaseu had a strong all-around night, hitting .462 (7-1-13), tying sophomore Annamaria Ramos for the team lead in blocks with three, and the Falcons' best serving tally of the season with three aces.

Although the Aztecs scored the first point of the match, Air Force quickly jumped out to a 5-2 lead, backed by two kills from Tschuor and two points from Bible (kill, block with Ramos). San Diego State evened the set at eight and took its first lead at the 10-9 mark, but the Falcons quickly responded. Fiaseu put down a strike that tied the set at 10 and sparked a 6-0 run by the Falcons that included a back-to-back blocks by the freshman and Tschuor. A kill from Ramos sent Air Force into the media timeout with a 15-10 lead and the Falcons continued to score, with Ramos (ace), Bible (kill), and Tschuor (kill) helping the Falcons extend their lead to seven (19-12). An ace from Fiaseu put the Falcons at 20, while kills from Bible, Ramos and junior Alex Hatchett allowed Air Force to roll to the 25-16 win.

The Aztecs responded quickly in the second set, doubling up the Falcons by a 6-3 margin. The first collegiate kill for freshman Brooksie Isham kept Air Force within three (6-9), but the Aztecs scored the next nine points to open the set and take a 19-6 lead. Tschuor and Bible put the Falcons in double figures (10-23), but San Diego State evened the match with a 25-12 victory.

The momentum swung back to the Falcons to start the third, as scores from Fiaseu (kill, ace), Bible (kill) and Tschuor (kill) helped Air Force jump out to a fast 6-2 advantage. The Falcons pushed their advantage to six (10-4) following a kill and ace from Bible, but the Aztecs closed within two at 12-10. Air Force stretched its lead back out to four with kills from Bible (15-11, 17-13), but San Diego State responded to pull within one at the 17-16 mark. Bible halted the run with a kill, while Hatchett pushed the advantage back to three (19-16). The Aztecs scored the next five points to tie the set at 19, take their first lead of the set at 20-19, and extend their advantage to two by the 21-19 mark. Ramos and Hatchett teamed up for a block, but San Diego State completed the comeback with the 25-20 win.

Fiaseu opened the scoring in the fourth with a kill and served up another ace to give Air Force a 3-2 lead. San Diego State used a short three-point run to go up 5-3, but Air Force tied the set at six, following back-to-back strikes from Tschuor. The Aztecs broke the set open, using a 9-1 run to send the Falcons into a timeout trailing 15-7. Fiaseu and Ramos put the Falcons in double-digits (10-15), but San Diego State allowed Air Force to score only three more points, enroute to the 25-13 win.

The Falcons, in the midst of a three-match homestand, return to the Academy on Saturday (Sept. 28) to host UNLV at 1:00 p.m. (MT). Fans should be advised that parking may be limited, due to home tennis and fencing tournaments and are encouraged to arrive early.

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