Air Force Suffers 3-1 Setback to Conference Champions

LOGAN, Utah -- Despite a hot start, the Air Force volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to Utah State this evening (Nov. 20) at the Wayne Estes Center in Logan. The Falcons opened the night with a 25-15 win over the undefeated (17-0 MW) Aggies, who clinched the conference's regular season title two weeks ago, but fell 14-25, 19-25, 22-25 over the next three sets to move to 15-14 (7-10) on the year.

Senior Ashley Bible led the Falcons with a match-high 18 kills, while sophomore Alysa Walker added 15 on .286 hitting. Sophomore Mia Loyd recorded a match-high 45 kills and served up two of the team's three aces, while classmate Grace Fiaseu and senior Jordan Suan tied for match-leading marks in blocks (five, all assisted) and digs (18), respectively.

Sophomore Brooksie Isham got the match started with a kill, while a pair of strikes from Walker helped Air Force take an early 6-3 lead in the set. The Aggies tied the set at seven, but the Falcons quickly responded to regain the advantage. The Falcons accounted for three blocks during the run, including Fiaseu and Loyd teaming up for back-to-back stops, while two kills from Walker sent Air Force into the media timeout with the 15-11 lead. Utah State earned the first point out of the break, but the Falcons answered with a pair of kills from Bible. The senior added another strike, as Air Force distanced itself from the home team. Hatchett, Walker and Isham added kills and, in a set that saw the Falcons keep the Aggies from stringing together more than two points in a row, Air Force secured the easy 25-15 victory.

Utah State struck early and often in the second, jumping out to a fast 10-3 lead. Bible, Walker and Hatchett, accounted for the Falcons' next five kills, while another pair of scores from Walker (ace, block with Fiaseu) helped Air Force cut its deficit to five (11-16). The Aggies quickly responded and widened their lead by scoring four of the next five points and – despite back-to-back scores from Hatchett (kill, block with Isham) – evened the match with the 25-14 match.

Air Force and Utah State traded the first six points of the set, with the Falcons earning their scores from Hatchett, Fiaseu and Walker. The Aggies broke the back-and-forth play with a 4-1 run, but the Falcons quickly pulled within one (7-8) as kills from Hatchett and Bible bookended an ace from Loyd. Fiaseu added two more kills, but Utah State took a 15-12 lead into the media break. The Aggies pushed their advantage out to seven (21-14) and, while Bible added three scores (two kills, block with Fiaseu), Utah State claimed the 25-19 win.

Two kills and a block (with Fiaseu) from Walker helped Air Force to a 6-4 start to the fourth, while Isham and Bible also put down scores during that run. The Falcons' next three points were scored from the serving line, as two Aggie errors and another ace from Loyd gave Air Force a 9-7 lead. Bible and Isham put down kills to push the Falcons' lead out to four (11-8), while strikes from Walker and Fiaseu gave Air Force a 15-12 lead at the break. Utah State used a 4-1 run to pull within one (17-16) – and another to tie the set at 20. Walker broke the tie on the next play and added one more kill, but the Aggies scored six of the final seven points to complete the 25-22 comeback and claim their 17th-straight conference win.

The Falcons close out the season on Saturday (Nov. 22), when they travel to Boise, Idaho, to face Boise State for the final time as Mountain West opponents at noon, inside Bronco Gym.

Footer

The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the u.s air force of non-u.s. government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the u.s. air force may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for department of defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.