Air Force Academy
New Mexico
Air Force Falls to New Mexico in Season Finale
11/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The Air Force volleyball team closed out the 2014 season with a 3-0 loss to New Mexico on Tuesday, Nov. 25, in Albuquerque. Freshman Shelley Spires and junior Taylor Parker paced the team in kills (10) and blocks (4), respectively, as the Falcons dropped 20-25, 16-25, 18-25 sets to the host Lobos.
With 10 kills on 19 attempts and just two errors, Spires recorded a team-leading .421 hitting percentage, while Parker recorded a pair of solo stops en route to a match-high four blocks. Senior Hillary Keltner recorded 21 assists and tied with junior Akokwe Clement for the team lead in digs, as each recorded eight. Keltner and junior Rebecca Bates combined for the team's two service aces.
Spires put down the first kill of the match and added another score to put the Falcons up by an early 3-2 margin. Bates served up an ace, while Parker tallied a kill and block (with Keltner) to give the Falcons a 6-4 lead. New Mexico scored six of the next seven points to take a 10-7 lead, before kills from Clement and Spires helped Air Force reach the 10-point mark. Clement teamed up for a block and added another kill to bring the Falcons within two (18-16). Spires and junior Maggie Sherrill recorded a pair of scores, but New Mexico took the opening set by a 25-20 margin.
Clement and Spires earned early kills, but the Lobos took a quick 9-3 lead. Keltner put down a kill to stop New Mexico's run, as she and Parker combined for four straight Air Force points. Parker teamed up with Keltner for a block, before posting a solo stop and kill that brought the Falcons within three (10-7). Another kill from Spires cut the deficit to two (11-9), but New Mexico scored the next seven points to double up the Falcons, 18-9. Spires halted the Lobos' run with a kill and added another at the 19-11 mark. Keltner and Parker put down kills, while Clement and junior Raquel Rosas teamed up for a block, but the Lobos took the second set, 25-16.
Spires scored the Falcons' first two points of the third set, putting down a kill and teaming up with Rosas for a block. A kill from Parker evened the score at four, but the Lobos scored the next five points to go up 9-4. Sherrill and Clement added kills, while freshman Piper Heineck recorded a kill and solo block on her first two plays of the match (15-10). Sherrill put down back-to-back kills that cut the deficit to four (17-13), but New Mexico used another run to go up 22-15. Spires put down her 10th kill of the match, but the Lobos completed the sweep with a 25-18 victory.
"We had a great season," head coach Matt McShane said. "It's always disappointing to end the season on a loss, but we did so many great things this year and I am incredibly proud of the team. Our four seniors have done a remarkable job of laying the foundation for a great program."
Air Force concluded the 2014 campaign with a 13-19 overall mark, including a 7-11 record in MW play.
