Wednesday, September 16
Denver, CO
6:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
at
Denver
Photo by: Gary DeVore, Cadet Wing Media
Falcons Close Non-Conference Season at UNC Invitational
9/15/2026 10:08:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
The Air Force volleyball team closes out the non-conference portion of its season this week, when it heads to Denver and Greeley for the UNC Volleyball Invitational, Presented by DoubleTree Greeley Lincoln. The Falcons will visit their I-25 counterparts in Denver on Wednesday, Sept. 16, before heading to Greeley to face Utah and Northern Colorado on Thursday (Sept. 17) and Friday (Sept. 18), respectively.
MATCH INFORMATION
The Falcons' run at the UNC Volleyball Invitational will be split between Hamilton Gym in Denver (Sept. 16) and the Bank of America Arena in Greeley (Sept. 17-18). Live stats will be available for all three contests, while the two true road matches will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the neutral site match with Utah will be on the Bear's YouTube channel (direct links can be found on the Falcons' schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com).
AIR FORCE @ DENVER
Wednesday | September 16 | 6:00 pm MT
Denver, CO | Hamilton Gymnasium
Live Stats | Watch | Tickets | Air Force Weekly Notebook
AIR FORCE vs UTAH
Thursday | September 17 | 3:00 pm MT
Greeley, CO | Bank of America Arena
Live Stats | Watch
AIR FORCE @ NORTHERN COLORADO
Friday | September 18 | 6:00 pm MT
Greeley, CO | Bank of America Arena
Live Stats | Watch | Tickets
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Denver is currently 6-3 on the year, following a 1-2 outing in Texas last weekend, where it fell to Texas A&M Corpus Christi and tournament host Tarleton State in five-set contests, before rebounding with a sweep of Sam Houston. Coming off a sweep of Utah State and a 3-1 loss to a UCLA team that is receiving votes in the national poll, Utah will bring a 5-3 season mark into its meeting with Air Force. Northern Colorado enters the week with a 2-6 record, after posting a 1-2 record at the Blue Raider Bash (3-2 win over Murray State, 1-3 loss to Middle Tennessee, 1-3 loss to Georgia State).
DID YOU KNOW?
Two of the Falcons' three upcoming opponents competed in the NCAA Tournament last season, with both Utah and Northern Colorado opening the postseason in Omaha. The Utes dropped a five-set decision to Northern Iowa in their first-round match, while the Bears went five with three-seed Creighton in the opening round match.
HISTORY 101
After having limited history with most of its previous opponents this season, the Falcons have combined for 148 contests with this week's trio of teams. Backed by a 30-2 start to the series, Air Force is 36-17 all-time against Denver – although the Pioneers have won seven of the last eight meetings. Utah, a former Mountain West opponent who the Falcons have not faced since 2010, is a perfect 27-0 against Air Force. Northern Colorado leads the all-time series with Air Force by a 55-13 margin, including wins in 17 of the last 18 matchups.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING
Air Force hasn't played in Greeley since 2017 and last faced Utah on a neutral floor in 2004 – although that meeting was in Colorado (Fort Collins), when the teams met in the opening round of the Mountain West Tournament.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE
Alysa Walker and Ella Vogel currently lead the Mountain West in their respective stat categories after three weeks of action, while the Falcons hold the conference's top-ranked team averages in kills (12.96), assists (12.17) and digs (17.56). Individually, Walker is ranked first in kills (4.40) and points (4.85), while Vogel's 4.42 digs per set is currently ranked No. 1 in the league. In addition to the conference leaders, Zoe Kirby is ranked second in blocks (1.13) and Grace Fiaseu holds a No. 3 mark in hitting (.351).
VOGEL CAPTURES WEEKLY MOUNTAIN WEST AWARDS
After helping Air Force to a 2-1 weekend at the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic, Ella Vogel was named the Old Trapper Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week and co-Freshman of the Week on Sept 14. Vogel, who averaged 4.70 digs per set and a .950 reception percentage, is the first Falcon since 2023 to earn a weekly award from the conference honor.
THE YOUNG WILL LEAD
With several upperclassmen out against Idaho State, freshmen led the way for Air Force. Karina Mendivil, one day after making her collegiate debut, posted a match-high 11 kills and earned her first double-double with 13 digs. Kennedy Simon added nine kills and 10 digs, while Ella Vogel posted a team-high 17 digs. Overall, the first-year Falcons accounted for nearly half (22) of the team's 47 kills and 43 of the team's 57 digs.
HOSTING A BLOCK PARTY
With an assisted stop in the Falcons' 3-0 victory over Little Rock on Sept 10, Grace Fiaseu became the 10th Falcon in Division 1 history to account for 200 assisted stops in a career.
HOME SWEET HOME
Backed by seven-straight victories, the Falcons are 19-12 in home openers since joining Division I.
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force opens Mountain West play next week, when it welcomes San Jose State to the Academy for a pair of matches. With the new format of conference scheduling, the Falcons will host the Spartans in back-to-back matches on Thursday, Sept. 24 (6:00 pm MT) and Saturday, Sept. 26 (1:00 pm MT).
MATCH INFORMATION
The Falcons' run at the UNC Volleyball Invitational will be split between Hamilton Gym in Denver (Sept. 16) and the Bank of America Arena in Greeley (Sept. 17-18). Live stats will be available for all three contests, while the two true road matches will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the neutral site match with Utah will be on the Bear's YouTube channel (direct links can be found on the Falcons' schedule page at GoAirForceFalcons.com).
AIR FORCE @ DENVER
Wednesday | September 16 | 6:00 pm MT
Denver, CO | Hamilton Gymnasium
Live Stats | Watch | Tickets | Air Force Weekly Notebook
AIR FORCE vs UTAH
Thursday | September 17 | 3:00 pm MT
Greeley, CO | Bank of America Arena
Live Stats | Watch
AIR FORCE @ NORTHERN COLORADO
Friday | September 18 | 6:00 pm MT
Greeley, CO | Bank of America Arena
Live Stats | Watch | Tickets
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Denver is currently 6-3 on the year, following a 1-2 outing in Texas last weekend, where it fell to Texas A&M Corpus Christi and tournament host Tarleton State in five-set contests, before rebounding with a sweep of Sam Houston. Coming off a sweep of Utah State and a 3-1 loss to a UCLA team that is receiving votes in the national poll, Utah will bring a 5-3 season mark into its meeting with Air Force. Northern Colorado enters the week with a 2-6 record, after posting a 1-2 record at the Blue Raider Bash (3-2 win over Murray State, 1-3 loss to Middle Tennessee, 1-3 loss to Georgia State).
DID YOU KNOW?
Two of the Falcons' three upcoming opponents competed in the NCAA Tournament last season, with both Utah and Northern Colorado opening the postseason in Omaha. The Utes dropped a five-set decision to Northern Iowa in their first-round match, while the Bears went five with three-seed Creighton in the opening round match.
HISTORY 101
After having limited history with most of its previous opponents this season, the Falcons have combined for 148 contests with this week's trio of teams. Backed by a 30-2 start to the series, Air Force is 36-17 all-time against Denver – although the Pioneers have won seven of the last eight meetings. Utah, a former Mountain West opponent who the Falcons have not faced since 2010, is a perfect 27-0 against Air Force. Northern Colorado leads the all-time series with Air Force by a 55-13 margin, including wins in 17 of the last 18 matchups.
IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING
Air Force hasn't played in Greeley since 2017 and last faced Utah on a neutral floor in 2004 – although that meeting was in Colorado (Fort Collins), when the teams met in the opening round of the Mountain West Tournament.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE
Alysa Walker and Ella Vogel currently lead the Mountain West in their respective stat categories after three weeks of action, while the Falcons hold the conference's top-ranked team averages in kills (12.96), assists (12.17) and digs (17.56). Individually, Walker is ranked first in kills (4.40) and points (4.85), while Vogel's 4.42 digs per set is currently ranked No. 1 in the league. In addition to the conference leaders, Zoe Kirby is ranked second in blocks (1.13) and Grace Fiaseu holds a No. 3 mark in hitting (.351).
VOGEL CAPTURES WEEKLY MOUNTAIN WEST AWARDS
After helping Air Force to a 2-1 weekend at the Amy Svoboda Memorial Classic, Ella Vogel was named the Old Trapper Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week and co-Freshman of the Week on Sept 14. Vogel, who averaged 4.70 digs per set and a .950 reception percentage, is the first Falcon since 2023 to earn a weekly award from the conference honor.
THE YOUNG WILL LEAD
With several upperclassmen out against Idaho State, freshmen led the way for Air Force. Karina Mendivil, one day after making her collegiate debut, posted a match-high 11 kills and earned her first double-double with 13 digs. Kennedy Simon added nine kills and 10 digs, while Ella Vogel posted a team-high 17 digs. Overall, the first-year Falcons accounted for nearly half (22) of the team's 47 kills and 43 of the team's 57 digs.
HOSTING A BLOCK PARTY
With an assisted stop in the Falcons' 3-0 victory over Little Rock on Sept 10, Grace Fiaseu became the 10th Falcon in Division 1 history to account for 200 assisted stops in a career.
HOME SWEET HOME
Backed by seven-straight victories, the Falcons are 19-12 in home openers since joining Division I.
WHAT'S ON DECK
Air Force opens Mountain West play next week, when it welcomes San Jose State to the Academy for a pair of matches. With the new format of conference scheduling, the Falcons will host the Spartans in back-to-back matches on Thursday, Sept. 24 (6:00 pm MT) and Saturday, Sept. 26 (1:00 pm MT).
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballTuesday, September 15
Saturday, September 12
Friday, September 11
Thursday, September 10
