Air Force Academy

PROVO, Utah -- The Air Force volleyball team was swept by BYU in three games on Friday, Oct. 29, in Provo, Utah. Poor hitting and numerous errors doomed the Falcons, who dropped consecutive sets 30-19, 30-15 and 30-12 in conference play.

BYU opened the scoring with two straight points, but an illegal server penalty on the Cougars gave Air Force its first point. A kill by Molly White (Lafayette, La.) brought the Falcons within one. With the Cougars holding a 5-2 lead, Air Force collected the next three points, including a kill by Rebecca Gallegos (Las Vegas, N.M.). The two squads traded the next few points, until BYU embarked on a five point run. White stopped the run with a pair of kills, but the Cougars tallied seven of the next eight points. Hitting just .000, Air Force was unable to overcome the hard-hitting of BYU (.323) as the Falcons fell 30-19.

Scoring drives were the name of the game in the second set, as BYU embarked on several multi-point runs to put the Falcons in an early hole. The Cougars took two three-point runs and a seven-point streak to put Air Force down 15-5 at the halfway mark. A BYU out ball stopped the streak and gave the Falcons their first point since the score was 6-5. Air Force cut the lead to eight at the 19-11 mark. Kristin Hamlett (Escondido, Calif.) and Elizabeth Arrington (Bend, Ore.) each added a kill for the Falcons, as they fell 30-15.

The Cougars scored the first point, but a serve into the net tied the game at one. Lamecca Jefferson (Beeville, Texas) recorded her first kill of the game to even the score at two, but BYU rolled off the next five points to take a 7-2 lead. The Falcons were unable to get any closer than half (8-4, 10-5, 16-8 and 20-10) at various times throughout the game, but BYU took a nine-point run to permanently distance themselves from Air Force and go on to take the final set 30-12.

Hamlett and White led all Falcons with six kills apiece. Setting down two of seven shots, while committing just two errors, Arrington had the best hitting percentage on the team at .143 -- one of just two to hit over .000. Carly Siefken (Beaverton, Ore.) assisted on 1 shots, while tying for the team lead in digs (five) with Gallegos.

Air Force returns to action tomorrow night (Oct. 30) when they take on No. 17 Utah at the Crimson Court in Salt Lake City, Utah. Match time is slated for 7 p.m.