Air Force Suffers Setback to UTEP at Borderland Invitational

EL PASO, Texas – The Air Force volleyball team dropped a 3-0 contest to UTEP this evening (Sept. 6) during the second day of action at the Borderland Invitational in El Paso. The Falcons fell in 16-25, 18-25, 19-25 sets to the tournament hosts at Memorial Gym.

Freshman Grace Fiaseu paced the Falcons with six kills on .455 hitting, while adding two service aces and one assisted block. Junior Greta Hans accounted for a tea-high 10 assists, while classmate Jordan Suan registered 18 digs to lead all player

Fiaseu registered the Falcons' first point of the match (1-1), while a 5-1 run that included back-to-back kills from junior Ashley Bible pulled Air Force within one at the 7-8 mark. A kill from Ella Tschuor put the Falcons in double figures (10-12), while another strike from the senior brought Air Force back within one (14-15). However, the Miners scored nine of the final 10 points to take the opening set by a 25-16 margin.

Air Force and UTEP traded the first few points of the second set, with a kill from Tschuor helping tie the set at three. After an ace from Fiaseu tied the frame at five, the Miners used a 10-1 run to take a 15-6 advantage. Sophomore Annamaria Ramos put down a pair of kills during a 7-1 run that quickly cut the Falcons' deficit to three (13-16). Bible and Fiaseu also registered kills during that stretch, while Fiaseu accounted for one more kill before UTEP used a late run to halt the Falcons' comeback and claim the 25-18 win.

The Miners jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead in the third, before Bible stopped their run with a kill. Senior Mac Russ added a score as the Falcons pulled within one (7-8), while Ramos kept Air Force within that margin at the 8-9 mark. UTEP responded with a four-point swing to take a 13-8 leadm but Fiaseu stopped the run with a kill – and added an ace during a 3-1 run by the Falcons (11-14).Tschuor added an ace of her own, but the Miners pushed ahead with another four-point swing. Russ and Fiaseu both put down a kill and assisted on a block, but the Miners completed the sweep with the 25-19 victory.

The Falcons return to El Paso's Memorial Gym tomorrow (Sept 7), when they close out the Borderland Invitational against Southeastern Louisiana at 10:00 a.m. (MT).

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