9/11/2004 - Women's Volleyball
Volleyball Drops First Match of the Season
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Air Force rallied after dropping the opening game of the match to defeat Navy in four games, Saturday night in Macdonough in the final match of the Armed Forces Tournament. The Falcons (3-3) defeated the Midshipmen (6-1), 28-30, 30-22, 30-25, 30-24.
The loss was the first of the season for Navy and the 6-0 start by the team was the best since Navy moved to the Division I level in 1991.
"Air Force took advantage of their opportunities tonight and we did not,," said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. "The match was disappointing because of that."
Navy slowly built a 20-11 lead in the opening game, but had to hold off a late Air Force rally to win the opening game, 30-28. The Falcons continued their late momentum of the opening game into game two and taking an 18-12 lead. Navy answered with a 6-2 run of its own to close to withing 20-18, but after an Air Force timeout the Falcons scored 9 of the next 12 points to take a 29-21 lead.
Game three featured 17 ties and neither team holding more than a two points lead until Air Force took a 23-20 lead. That deficit was quickly erased by Navy with three-straight points of its own to tie the score at 23-23. The Falcons responded with a 3-0 run to jump in front, 26-23, then closed with a 4-2 to take the important game three victory.
Navy was the aggressive team at the outset of game four, taking a 12-8 lead until Air Force scored seven of the next eight points to take a 15-13 advantage. The teams would be tied at 16-16 when the Falcons score four-straight points to take a 20-16 advantage. Navy would close to 21-18, but Air Force responded with a string of five-straight points to take the 26-18 lead and seal the victory.
"We allowed too many runs late in games," said Schwob. "We need to be the aggressor in that position and force the tempo and the play instead of the other way around.
"Despite the loss, I am pleased with where we are at as a team. We totaled only 61 points in losing in three games at Air Force last year, and tonight we made them work for every point they won and had our chances to win the match. It is progress, not the amount we will need or that I expect out of this team, but it shows we are coming along."
One of the statistical keys to the match was hitting percentage as Air Force hit .240 on the night and limited Navy to a .190 percentage. Individually, Navy's Ashley Van Hartesvelt (Sr., Breckenridge, Colo.) led all players with 19 kills and tied for the match honors with 17 digs. Van Hartesvelt was named as Navy's representative on the all-tournament team.
Navy will be back in action Tuesday at Coppin State.
