Academy volleyball team falls to UNC

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U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  The Air Force Academy women’s volleyball team dropped a three-game match to University of Northern Colorado on Sept. 14 in the Falcons’ home opener here. In the team’s first three-game match of the season, Air Force dropped consecutive games of 31-29, 30-25 and 30-25 to the visiting Bears.

With the loss, Air Force snaps a three-game winning streak and falls to 3-4 on the season. Playing against the Falcons for the first time in 11 years, Northern Colorado improves to 5-3.

Air Force got down an early 2-0 in the first game and lagged behind Northern Colorado for much of the game, at one point trailing by as many as 6 points. Refusing to go quietly, the Falcons crept back behind four straight serves from Jenalee Burke, pulling within two at the 15-13 mark. Northern Colorado tried to pull away once more, but Air Force tightened the gap at 20-19 off of a kill from Brooke Akers. Again the Bears pulled away and again the Falcons came back, tying things up at 29-all, as Akers tallied another kill off of a Carly Siefken assist. Unfortunately, two Northern Colorado kills secured the game for the visiting team at 31-29.

The second game had eight ties before either team reached 10 points, as the squads traded serves. An Air Force lead at 14-12 was the largest lead by either team, and the Falcons held on until the Bears tied the game at 16. The teams traded points until the Bears began to pull away at the 22-19 mark. A kill by Lamecca Jefferson pulled the Falcons within two at 26-34, but Northern Colorado took the game 30-25.

The visiting Bears pulled out to an early 11-4 lead that Air Force was never able to overcome. Siefken tallied four straight serves to pull the Falcons within 5 points at 20-15, but Northern Colorado kept scoring as well. Rebecca Gallegos also served four straight and brought Air Force within four (25-21) and a Bears’ error closed the gap to three points (27-24), but Northern Colorado hung on for the 30-25 game win.

Jefferson led all scorers with 16 kills, while Kristin Hamlett recorded 10. Brittany Oligney notched two service aces, while Jefferson and Burke tied for the team lead with seven digs.

The Falcons next play the University of Texas Pan American here Sept. 23.