Falcons End Season With 3-0 Loss to CSU at MWC Championships

Volleyball team eliminated from Mountain West tournament

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Nov. 21, 2002

Box Score

Final 2002 Overall Statistics
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The Air Force volleyball team ended its season Thursday night with a disappointing 3-0 (24-30, 19-30, 21-30) loss to Colorado State at the Mountain West Championships. The top-seeded Rams, who entered the tournament with the best hitting percentage in the league, continued its offensive prowess, hitting .347 percent for the match.

Despite playing the role of underdog, the Falcons rose to the challenge. They made some rotation changes to counter the Rams solid offensive attack. But in the end, the Rams were too strong for the Falcons. Air Force showed their fighting attitude in game one, when they led 15-13 midway through the match. With the score tied 19-19, the Rams made a 9-1 run and never looked back.

Air Force started strong again in game two, staying even with the Rams throughout the game's first half. But the Rams dominant hitting attack took over and CSU pulled away for an 11-point lead. The Falcons hit a minus .029 percent for the game, compared to the Rams' .314 percent.

The Falcons refused to roll over and quit. Trailing by five early in the game, the team battled back to take a 13-12 lead. Unfortunately, it was the last lead of the game for Air Force, as CSU would win the next four points to regain the momentum permanently. The Rams finished the match with a .347 hitting percentage. Katie Jo Shirley and Michelle Knox each had 10 kills.

Air Force hit just. 040 percent for the match, knocking 32 kills on 101 attacks with 28 errors. Tiffany Bishop led the team with eight kills and a .353 hitting percentage. Lamecca Jefferson and Elise Hickerson each notched seven kills. Jaime Beatty had a team-high seven digs, while Kristin Huitt had 19 assists.

 

 

The Falcons finished the season 8-22 overall and 2-12 in the Mountain West. It was an up-and-down season for Air Force. They snapped a 35-match conference losing streak with a victory over BYU on the road. It was the first defeat over the Cougars in the history of the program. They also notched a league win over Wyoming at home, a victory which at the time improved the Falcons home record to 7-1. But the team suffered a letdown, losing its final 12 matches of the year.
 

AF Athletics Women's Volleyball

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