Air Force Academy

Oct. 23, 2006

The Air Force volleyball team concludes the non-conference portion of its schedule on Tuesday (Oct. 24) against in-state foe Northern Colorado. The match is also the finale to the Falcons' rigorous schedule of "seven-matches-in-12-days". The Falcons and Bears will face one another at 7 p.m., in Clune Arena. Live stats and video streaming will be available.

Weekly Release 10: Northern Colorado
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NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS

2006 Record: 10-10 (6-4 Big Sky)

Head Coach: Lyndsey Benson

Series Record: Northern Colorado leads 3-0 (Division 1 only)

Who to Watch: Dulcie Stone (2.92 kpg; 3.21 dpg)

Notables: The Bears are in their first full season at the Division 1 level

LEADING THE WAY: Accounting for 27 service aces in 59 games, junior Rebecca Gerton currently leads the Mountain West Conference with a 0.46 aces-per-game average. Gerton has had two five-ace matches, which is tied for second in the league in terms of single-match production.

HISTORY 101: Air Force renewed its long-standing rivalry with Northern Colorado in 2004, when the Bears moved to NCAA Division I status. Prior to that, UNC held a 46-10 mark against the Falcons in NCAA Division II matches, dating back to 1979.

FINALLY!: Air Force snapped its 14-match winless streak with a pair of victories over Centenary and Alcorn State in a non-conference doubleheader on Oct. 16.  After dropping the first two sets to Centenary, the Falcons responded with three straight wins, en route to the 3-2 match win.  In the nightcap, Air Force swept host Alcorn State with a 3-0 victory. The wins are the first for Air Force since a 3-0 sweep of Norfolk State on Sept. 1. The third game victory against Centenary also snapped a 29-game losing streak for the Falcons.

NOW SERVING...: Over the victorious weekend, Air Force caught its opponents from the line. Against Centenary, the Falcons served up 14 total aces - a mark just two shy of the new Division I single-match record that was set earlier this year.  Freshman Katie Batchelder and sophomore Kristina Stewart chipped in four apiece, while junior Rebecca Gerton put down three.  In the nightcap with Alcorn State, Air Force produced 12 aces - five of which came from Gerton to match her career-best output. Batchelder and Morgan Dolan each tallied a pair against the Braves.

OFFENSE, DEFENSE...TAKE YOUR PICK: Freshman Michelle Harrington had a stellar defensive match against Centenary.  In addition to assisting on four blocks, Harrington added a trio of solo stops.  Against Alcorn State, she showed off her offensive skills, collecting 13 kills, including a match-opening span of six straight connections. Connecting on 13 of 19 attempts, with no errors, Harrington produced a team-leading .684 hitting percentage - the best by any Falcon this season.

BLOCK PARTY: Air Force blocked its way to 17 total stops - one shy of the Division I single-match record (18) set in 1999. Freshman Michelle Harrington assisted on four blocks, while adding a trio of solo stops. In addition, classmates Katie Batchelder and Jocelyn Booker added in six assisted blocks.

JUST BOOK IT: Jocelyn Booker gave the Falcons a spark against Centenary, connecting on 12 straight attempts during the second, third and fourth games.  Easily defeating the opposing middle blockers, Booker managed to put down everything that Kim Kallabis sent her way during that stretch.  In all, Booker accounted for 18 total kills and a team-best .484 hitting percentage. It is the eighth time in the Falcons' last 14 matches that Booker has recorded the team's best hitting percentage.

KEEP THEM COMING: Air Force held off Centenary in the fourth game for a 38-36 victory.  Those 38 points are the most ever for the Falcons and that is the second longest game since a 39-37 loss against UNLV in 2002.

THREE AND OUT: In 2005, Air Force and its opponents played in an Academy-record 16 matches that went past three games. This season, those numbers dropped significantly, as the Falcons have only participated in just three matches that have advanced past regulation. In fact, the 15-10 victory over Centenary was the first five-game match of the season for Air Force.

'RANK' YOU VERY MUCH: The Falcons are currently ranked third in the MWC with 1.77 aces per game. Only TCU (2.27) and New Mexico (1.80) are ranked higher. Junior Rebecca Gerton is ranked first in the league with a 0.46 ace-per-game average, while freshman Katie Batchelder is eighth at 0.34 apg. In other categories, freshman Jaclyn Fleming is ranked seventh with 3.65 digs per game and junior Kim Kallabis is ninth with 6.78 assists per game.

MORE STATISICAL NEWS: With 16 total aces against Norfolk State, Air Force is tied for the lead in the MWC single-match statistics.  In addition, the Falcons' 14 aces against Centenary are tied for the second-most in a single-match.  Individually, Rebecca Gerton is ranked second for the five she put down in each of those matches. Michelle Harrington's .684 hitting percentage against Alcorn State is ranked third in the league.

ON THE HORIZON: Air Force hosts returns to Mountain West Conference action on Saturday, Oct. 28, as it hosts Wyoming in Clune Arena.