Air Force Academy

Nov. 7, 2005

USAFA ACADEMY, Colo. -

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The Air Force volleyball team closes out the 2005 home schedule on Friday, Nov. 11, when it hosts New Mexico in Mountain West Conference action. Friday's match will be the final home contest for seniors Rebecca Gallegos, Kristin Hamlett, Carly Siefken and Briana Thomas, as well as manager Thea Alli. Action is slated to begin at 7 p.m., following a special presentation to the team's graduating members. The Falcons' match can be followed online at AirForceSports.com.

NEW MEXICO NOTABLES: New Mexico currently sits in sixth-place with a 5-8 MWC record...the Lobos are 13-10 overall, but have one non-conference tilt against rival New Mexico State prior to facing the Falcons...Nicole Ryan leads the team with 3.26 kills per game, while four others average at least two...Sarah Kwasigroch has assisted on 1002 kills and recorded 183 digs...Chelsea Soundrup has totaled 114 assisted stops to lead the team...in addition, she and Ryan lead the team with 10 solo blocks...the Lobos are second in the conference with 1.88 aces per game...New Mexico holds a 13-3 advantage over Air Force...the Lobos picked up the 3-1 victory over the Falcons in Albuquerque earlier this year.

AIR FORCE SNAPS THE SKID: With a 3-0 sweep over TCU, the Falcons snapped a 17-match winless streak on Sunday, Nov. 6. The Falcons took the first two sets 30-23 and 30-24, before holding off the Horned Frogs by a 31-29 margin in the third game. The victory was also the Falcons' first in conference action since a sweep of Wyoming to close out the 2003 season.

REACHING A MILESTONE: With her first kill of the San Diego State match on Oct. 29, senior Kristin Hamlett broke into the Air Force Academy's all-time top-10 list with 1,097 career kills. Since then, she has amassed 1,140 kills. Hamlett, who is currently 10th, after surpassing Brooke Effland (1996-2000) on the list, is one of just two Division-I athletes on the all-time list - Delavane Diaz (2000-03) currently resides in 6th-place with 1,468 kills.

MARKING UP THE RECORD BOOKS: Recording six solo blocks over the weekend to bring her year-long total to 31, Brooke Akers shot from fifth to second on the Academy's Division I single-season list. Akers is just nine solo stops shy from the Division I record of 40 that Summer Koons set during the 1997 season. In addition, Akers is tied for fourth with 89 total blocks and eighth with 58 assisted blocks. Teammate Kristin Hamlett is also moving up the record books, as she is fifth with 28 solo blocks and ninth with 82 total blocks.

NEARING A PEAK: Senior setter Carly Siefken is just six helpers shy of reaching the 1,000-assist plateau for the season. With 994 assists, Siefken remains in fourth-place on the program's Division I single-season charts.

THEY KEEP GOING AND GOING: Air Force's 3-2 loss to North Dakota State on Nov. 4 marked the 15th match this season that has gone past three games - setting the program's Division I record.