Air Force Academy

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The Air Force volleyball team closed out the Morehead State/Comfort Inn Invitational with a three-game loss to the host Eagles on Saturday, Sept. 9, in Morehead, Ky. The Falcons dropped consecutive sets by 30-22, 30-10 and 30-25 scores in the final match of the weekend tournament.

Sophomore Kristina Stewart led the Falcons with eight kills, while junior Rebecca Gerton and freshman Jocelyn Booker added in five apiece. Stewart, classmate Ellen Bina and junior Kim Kallabis each tallied a pair of aces and Kallabis added a team-best 22 assists. Freshman Jaclyn Fleming accounted for 10 digs, while classmate Danielle Mittelstadt earned the team's top hitting percentage, as she posted four kills on nine attempts with no errors for a .444 mark.

Air Force used an attacking error by Morehead State to claim the match's first point. MSU responded with two, but freshman Katie Batchelder tallied a kill to even things up. Booker matched the score at three and Stewart came alive with three straight points -- including an ace -- to tie the series at six. The Eagles scored the next three points, but a kill by Batchelder and back-to-back aces by Bina tied the game at nine. Morehead State embarked on a 13-4 run to secure the lead, but Air Force pulled to within six at 25-19. Freshman Hannah Sorber earned a kill, but the Falcons ultimately fell 30-22.

Sophomore Jasamine Pettie provided two of the Falcons' five kills in the opening half of the second set, as Morehead State streaked out to a 20-5 lead. Stewart and Gerton posted two of the kills, as did freshman Michelle Harrington. Booker added a kill in the waning moments and teamed up with Pettie for a block, but the Eagles cruised to the 30-10 victory.

The third game began with the two programs trading scores for the first eight points (4-4). Morehead State scored twice, but Booker and Stewart responded to again deadlock the score. Kallabis served up an ace during a 6-0 run by the Falcons to take a 12-7 lead. A scoring run by the Eagles pulled them within one, but Air Force maintained its lead until the 19-19 mark. Morehead State collected the next five points to claim its first advantage since the 7-6 mark. Freshman Danielle Mittelstadt blasted down a pair of kills on back-to-back scoring rallies for the Falcons and teamed up with Pettie for block, but Morehead State went on to claim the 30-25 win and the tournament title.

The Falcons open Mountain West Conference action next weekend (Sept. 15-16) as they travel to Utah for a pair of matches against nationally-ranked Utah and BYU.