Saturday, November 15
USAFA
1:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
15-13,7-9Mountain West
2
vs
3
New Mexico
13-14,5-11Mountain West
1
2
3
4
5
F
New Mexico
29
25
18
22
15
3
Air Force
27
22
25
25
8
2
Photo by: Trevor Cokley
Comeback Falls Short for Air Force in Five-Set Heartbreaker
11/15/2025 7:53:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. -- A five-set comeback fell just short for the Air Force volleyball team this afternoon (Nov. 15), as they dropped a 27-29, 22-25, 25-18, 25-22, 8-15 heartbreaker to New Mexico on Senior Day at Cadet East Gym.
The senior starters had a tremendous day in their final appearance at the Academy, as Ashley Bible posted a career-high 22 kills for the third time in as many matches, Alex Hatchett tallied five blocks, and Jordan Suan accounted for 18 digs.
As a team, the Falcons out-killed (71-58), out-assisted (69-52) and out-dug (87-82) the Lobos, but the visitors held a 21-10 advantage in blocks. Bible (22), Hatchett (11), and sophomore Alysa Walker (18) all accounted for double-digit kill totals, while Walker (10), Bible (12), Suan (18), sophomore Mia Loyd (20) and freshman Sophie Bridges (21) paced Air Force to its highest dig production of the year (87). Loyd accounted for the first 60-assist match of her career, while classmate Grace Fiaseu served up three of the team's eight aces and teamed up with fellow sophomore Brooksie Isham for four assisted stops.
Bible and Hatchett put the Falcons on the board in the opening set, as the teams played to a five-all tie. The Lobos broke the back-and-forth played with a run that pushed them ahead of the Falcons by a 10-5 mark. Bible (kill) and Hatchett (block with freshman Sonia Okpara) again teamed up for back-to-back scores, but New Mexico regained the five-point margin by the 15-10 mark. Three-straight strikes from Walker pulled the Falcons within two (14-16), but the Lobos again stretched its advantage to five (19-14). Another strike from Walker sparked a 7-1 run by the Falcons, who saw three kills from Bible and a served ace from Fiaseu help give Air Force its first lead of the day at 21-20. An attacking error from the Lobos stretch the Falcons' lead to two (22-21), while another strike from Bible put the Falcons at set-point (24-22). New Mexico retook the lead with a three-point run, but Hatchett put down a kill and teamed up with Walker for a block to regain the lead for Air Force (26-25). A kill from Walker gave Air Force a 27-26 advantage, but another three-point swing by the Lobos secured the 29-27 victory for the visitors.
Back-to-back kills from Hatchett tied the second set at two, while strikes from Walker and Isham pulled the Falcons within one at the 5-4 mark. The Lobos stretched their lead out of three, before a 5-0 run saw the visiting team double up the Falcons by a 14-7 margin. Air Force responded with a 4-0 run, thanks to kills from Bible, Walker and Isham (14-11), but UNM answered with their own four-point swing that stretched its lead to seven (18-11). Loyd stopped the run with a kill, while Isham and Fiaseu teamed up for a block at the 13-18 mark, but New Mexico regained a seven-point margin at 21-14. Multiple scores from Fiaseu (two kills) and Bible (two kills, ace) helped but the lead to two, but the Lobos scored the final point for the 25-22 win.
Air Force came out swinging, as kills from Fiaseu and Walker helped Air Force take a 4-1 lead to start the third. The Lobos quickly evened the set at five, before Bible put down a kill and Fiaseu served up another ace (7-5). Following a tie at seven, the teams traded the next several points, before a pair of strikes from Isham gave Air Force a 12-10 lead. The Lobos tallied the next point, but Fiaseu and Bible put down kills and teamed up for a stop to highlight a 6-0 run by the Falcons that stretched their advantage out to seven (18-11). The Lobos pulled within three at the 19-16 mark, but two kills from Bible and another Hatchett/Isham block extended the lead and a kill from Fiaseu gave Air Force the 25-15 victory.
New Mexico got the early jump on the Falcons in the fourth (5-2), but three-straight kills from Bible helped Air Force to tie the set at six. A kill from Hatchett tied the set at seven and sparked a 4-0 run for Air Force that included an Isham kill, a Hatchett/Isham block and an ace from Loyd. The Lobos answered with a run that tied the set at 12 – and again at 15, before adding two more scores to take a 17-15 advantage. Bible (kill) and Fiaseu (ace) tied the score at 17, while Hatchett (18) and Bible (19) accounted for more set-tying scores. New Mexico evened the score at 21, but Fiaseu broke the tie off a kill and block with Isham. Bridges served up an ace at the 24-21 mark and Fiaseu put down another strike to give Air Force a 25-22 win that tied the match at two and send the Falcons into their second five-set match of the night.
Air Force, who came back from an 0-2 deficit to defeat Grand Canyon on Thursday, struck first in their fifth five-set match of the year, as Isham put down a quick kill. Walker put down three-straight kills, while a strike from Fiaseu gave Air Force a 5-2 lead. Bible added a kill at the 6-4 mark, but New Mexico scored the next eight points to race out to a 12-6 lead. Hatchett tallied two more kills to match her career high (11), but New Mexico tallied the final two points to halt the Falcons' comeback with a 15-8 victory.
The Falcons close out the regular season next week with a pair of Mountain West road matches. Air Force will face Utah State, who have already clinched the 2025 conference championship, in Logan on Thursday, Nov. 20, before traveling to Idaho to face Boise State in their MW finale on Saturday, Nov. 22.
The senior starters had a tremendous day in their final appearance at the Academy, as Ashley Bible posted a career-high 22 kills for the third time in as many matches, Alex Hatchett tallied five blocks, and Jordan Suan accounted for 18 digs.
As a team, the Falcons out-killed (71-58), out-assisted (69-52) and out-dug (87-82) the Lobos, but the visitors held a 21-10 advantage in blocks. Bible (22), Hatchett (11), and sophomore Alysa Walker (18) all accounted for double-digit kill totals, while Walker (10), Bible (12), Suan (18), sophomore Mia Loyd (20) and freshman Sophie Bridges (21) paced Air Force to its highest dig production of the year (87). Loyd accounted for the first 60-assist match of her career, while classmate Grace Fiaseu served up three of the team's eight aces and teamed up with fellow sophomore Brooksie Isham for four assisted stops.
Bible and Hatchett put the Falcons on the board in the opening set, as the teams played to a five-all tie. The Lobos broke the back-and-forth played with a run that pushed them ahead of the Falcons by a 10-5 mark. Bible (kill) and Hatchett (block with freshman Sonia Okpara) again teamed up for back-to-back scores, but New Mexico regained the five-point margin by the 15-10 mark. Three-straight strikes from Walker pulled the Falcons within two (14-16), but the Lobos again stretched its advantage to five (19-14). Another strike from Walker sparked a 7-1 run by the Falcons, who saw three kills from Bible and a served ace from Fiaseu help give Air Force its first lead of the day at 21-20. An attacking error from the Lobos stretch the Falcons' lead to two (22-21), while another strike from Bible put the Falcons at set-point (24-22). New Mexico retook the lead with a three-point run, but Hatchett put down a kill and teamed up with Walker for a block to regain the lead for Air Force (26-25). A kill from Walker gave Air Force a 27-26 advantage, but another three-point swing by the Lobos secured the 29-27 victory for the visitors.
Back-to-back kills from Hatchett tied the second set at two, while strikes from Walker and Isham pulled the Falcons within one at the 5-4 mark. The Lobos stretched their lead out of three, before a 5-0 run saw the visiting team double up the Falcons by a 14-7 margin. Air Force responded with a 4-0 run, thanks to kills from Bible, Walker and Isham (14-11), but UNM answered with their own four-point swing that stretched its lead to seven (18-11). Loyd stopped the run with a kill, while Isham and Fiaseu teamed up for a block at the 13-18 mark, but New Mexico regained a seven-point margin at 21-14. Multiple scores from Fiaseu (two kills) and Bible (two kills, ace) helped but the lead to two, but the Lobos scored the final point for the 25-22 win.
Air Force came out swinging, as kills from Fiaseu and Walker helped Air Force take a 4-1 lead to start the third. The Lobos quickly evened the set at five, before Bible put down a kill and Fiaseu served up another ace (7-5). Following a tie at seven, the teams traded the next several points, before a pair of strikes from Isham gave Air Force a 12-10 lead. The Lobos tallied the next point, but Fiaseu and Bible put down kills and teamed up for a stop to highlight a 6-0 run by the Falcons that stretched their advantage out to seven (18-11). The Lobos pulled within three at the 19-16 mark, but two kills from Bible and another Hatchett/Isham block extended the lead and a kill from Fiaseu gave Air Force the 25-15 victory.
New Mexico got the early jump on the Falcons in the fourth (5-2), but three-straight kills from Bible helped Air Force to tie the set at six. A kill from Hatchett tied the set at seven and sparked a 4-0 run for Air Force that included an Isham kill, a Hatchett/Isham block and an ace from Loyd. The Lobos answered with a run that tied the set at 12 – and again at 15, before adding two more scores to take a 17-15 advantage. Bible (kill) and Fiaseu (ace) tied the score at 17, while Hatchett (18) and Bible (19) accounted for more set-tying scores. New Mexico evened the score at 21, but Fiaseu broke the tie off a kill and block with Isham. Bridges served up an ace at the 24-21 mark and Fiaseu put down another strike to give Air Force a 25-22 win that tied the match at two and send the Falcons into their second five-set match of the night.
Air Force, who came back from an 0-2 deficit to defeat Grand Canyon on Thursday, struck first in their fifth five-set match of the year, as Isham put down a quick kill. Walker put down three-straight kills, while a strike from Fiaseu gave Air Force a 5-2 lead. Bible added a kill at the 6-4 mark, but New Mexico scored the next eight points to race out to a 12-6 lead. Hatchett tallied two more kills to match her career high (11), but New Mexico tallied the final two points to halt the Falcons' comeback with a 15-8 victory.
The Falcons close out the regular season next week with a pair of Mountain West road matches. Air Force will face Utah State, who have already clinched the 2025 conference championship, in Logan on Thursday, Nov. 20, before traveling to Idaho to face Boise State in their MW finale on Saturday, Nov. 22.
Team Stats
UNM
USAFA
Kills
58
71
Errors
22
34
Attempts
182
200
Hitting %
.198
.185
Points
82.0
89.0
Assists
52
69
Aces
3
8
Blocks
21
10
Game Leaders
Kills
22
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
18
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
9
Aces
3
Blocks
4
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballFalcons fall in 5 sets to New Mexico
Saturday, November 15
Falcons reverse sweep Grand Canyon for 7th MW win of the season
Thursday, November 13
Macey Donathan Interview Sept 30, 2025
Tuesday, September 30
Falcons open up MW play with sweep of Nevada
Thursday, September 25
