Falcons Fall to UC Davis in First Conference Matchup

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Air Force	17	20	22	0
UC Davis	25	25	25	3

Air Force

UC Davis

DAVIS, Calif. -- The Air Force volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to conference newcomer UC Davis this evening (Oct. 1), as two the teams met for the first time as Mountain West opponents. The Falcons moved to 2-1 in the young conference after the 25-17, 25-22, 25-20 loss to the host Aggies.

Junior Alysa Walker led the Falcons with 11 kills, while senior Annamaria Ramos added six and junior Grace Fiaseu chipped in five. Fiaseu was one of two Falcons to record a pair of service aces on Thursday, as she and classmate Mia Loyd each served up a pair of scores. Loyd accounted for 17 assists over the three-set match, while freshman Ella Vogel (21 digs) and sophomore Sonia Donkeng Okpara (five blocks, all assisted) rounded out Air Force's stat line.

The Aggies jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead, but back-to-back kills from Walker pulled the Falcons within one (3-4) two plays later. Another pair of kills from the junior bookended a block from Donkeng Okpara and freshman Jenness Orcutt, as Air Force stayed within one at the 6-7 mark. The two blockers put down the Falcons' next two kills (7-8 for Donkeng Okpara, 8-10 for Orcutt), while a strike from Ramos, another kill from Walker and an ace from Fiaseu contributed to the Falcons' stat line (11-13). Despite additional kills from Donkeng Okpara, Ramos (two) and Fiasey, the Aggies widened their advantage and took the opening set by a 25-17 margin.

Loyd kicked off the second set with a service ace, while a 4-0 r that included two Walker kills and a block from Donkeng Okpara and junior Lainie Stapleton, gave the Falcons a 6-4 lead. Benefitting from three UCD errors and kills from Orcutt, Ramos and Fiaseu, Air Force maintained the advantage at the 12-11 mark. The Aggies scored three straight to take the lead, but the Falcons answered with a three-point swing of their own – Walker kill, Okpara/Stapleton block, Fiaseu ace – and headed into the media timeout with a 15-14 lead. The Aggies came out of the break with seven of the next eight points, with only a kill from Stapleton breaking up the run. Orcutt added a strike, but UC Davis took the 25-20 win.

A successful challenge from head coach Macey Donathan on a kill from Walker put the Falcons on the board (1-1), while another strike from Walker and a Okpara/Fiaseu block tied the set at three. Donathan successfully challenged that there was a touch on an attack from Donkeng Okpara, while the sophomore teamed up with Orcutt for a block on the next play to give Air Force a 5-4 lead. Orcutt evened the score at seven, while a kill from Fiaseu and an ace from Loyd headlined a 5-0 run that gave the Falcons a 12-9 lead. Fiaseu added another kill to halt a three-point run by the Aggies and help send Air Force into the media timeout with a 15-13 advantage. The Aggies tied the set at 16 and retook the lead on the ensuing play, but the Falcons answered to tie the set at 18 off a kill from Donkeng Okpara. The Falcons kept the score tied at 21 (UCD error) and 22 (Ramos kill)

Air Force returns to the University Credit Union Center on Saturday, Oct. 3, for a rematch with the Aggies. Action is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. (PT) and will be streamed live on the MW+.

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