Falcons Snap Skid with Upset Victory over UNLV

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force volleyball team snapped two long losing streaks this afternoon (Sept. 28), as it closed out the first weekend of Mountain West play with an impressive upset victory over UNLV at the Academy's Cadet East Gym. The 25-23, 20-25, 25-21, 25-21 win – which came over a Rebels team that had been receiving vote in the AVCA poll earlier in the season – snapped a nine-match losing streak to UNLV and this season's 11-match overall losing skid.

The Falcons accounted for their best offensive performances of the season on Saturday, tallying a season-high 58 kills on .318 hitting – a tally more than 100 points over their previous best. Junior Ashley Bible, senior Ella Tschuor, and freshman Grace Fiaseu were nearly unstoppable on the day, combining for 42 kills and hitting averages of at least 265. Bible led the team in kills, with 16 on .367 hitting, while adding three blocks (including two solo stops) and recording both of the team's service aces. Tschuor added 15 kills on .397 hitting and Fiaseu hit .556 on the day with 11 kills on 18 swings and just one error, while both accounted for a pair of blocks (one solo, one assisted for Tschuor, two assisted for Fiaseu). Freshman Mia Loyd recorded a career-high 28 assists, while juniors Jordan Suan and Alex Hatchett led the team in digs (15) and blocks (four – one solo, three assisted), respectively.

Despite a match-opening kill from Fiaseu, UNLV took a quick 7-3 lead to start the first. Air Force pulled within one (9-10) following a successful challenge by head coach Macey Donathan on a kill by sophomore Annamaria Ramos, while Bible's first ace tied the set on the ensuing serve. The teams traded the next several points, with Tschuor and Bible putting down set-tying scores. The Rebels stretched their lead to three (16-13), but a kill and block (with Hatchett) from Fiaseu helped to tie the set at 19-all. Kills from Hatchett tied the set at 21 and gave Air Force the lead on the next play (22-21), while a kill and solo block from Bible helped Air Force take the 25-23 lead.

Backed by solid serving from Loyd – and kills from the trio of Bible, Fiaseu, and Tschuor – Air Force jumped out to a fast 6-1 lead in the second. The Falcons doubled UNLV up at the 10-5 mark, but the Rebels raced back – scoring nine of the next 111 points to take a 14-12 lead. Ramos brought the Falcons within one (14-13), but UNLV began to widen the gap and, despite another kill from Ramos – as well as strikes from Bible, Fiaseu and junior Greta Hans, the Rebels took the 25-20 win.

Air Force earned another 5-1 start in the third, as Ramos, Fiaseu and Tschuor put down kills in the opening minutes of the set. The latter two each added another strike, as the Falcons held that four-point lead at the 10-6 mark – and again at 12-8 following scores from Bible and Fiaseu. A strike from Tschuor pushed the Falcons' lead to five at the media timeout (15-10), while classmate Mekayla Dedo put down a kill at the 16-11 mark. Ramos put the Falcons at 20 – and a six-point margin (20-14), while two kills from Tschuor, a strike from Hatchett, and a score from Bible helped Air Force hold off a late UNLV challenge and secure the 25-21 win.

A solo block from Hatchett, as well as a kill from Ramos, gave Air Force the early 5-3 lead to start the fourth, but UNLV tied the set at seven and took the lead on the next play. The teams traded points, with Bible putting together back-to-back scores (9-9 kill, 10-9 ace) and kills from Tschuor tying the set at 11- and 13-all. After UNLV went up two at the 16-14 mark, the Falcons rattled off four-straight points to take an 18-16 advantage - backed by a pair of kills from both Fiaseu and Bible. Air Force maintained its two-point lead (19-17 Bible, 20-18 Tschuor), while a strike from Dedo put the Falcons up three (23-20). UNLV scored once more, but back-to-back kills from Bible and Fiaseu secured the 25-21 win – the Falcons' first match victory since the season-opener and the first Mountain West victory for Donathan.

The win also marked just the sixth Air Force victory ever over UNLV in a 54-match series that dates back to 1996.

Air Force remains at the Academy next week, as it hosts New Mexico in the Mountain West Network's Tuesday Night Block Party. The Oct. 1 match – which closes out a three-match, conference-opening homestand for the Falcons, will start at 6:00 p.m. (MT) and be broadcast live on the MW Network and MW App.

Falcons Snap Skid with Upset Victory over UNLV

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Team Stats

Ashley Bible

Ella Tschuor

Grace Fiaseu

Annamaria Ramos

Players Mentioned

Ashley Bible

Mekayla Dedo

Grace Fiaseu

Greta Hans

Alex Hatchett

Mia Loyd

Annamaria Ramos

Jordan Suan

Ella Tschuor

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