USAF Academy, Colo. – Fresno State came up short on the road Friday afternoon, falling 3–1 to Air Force (13–25, 27–25, 20–25, 22–25) inside Falcon Court at East Gym.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Falcons opened the match strong, using a .542 team hitting percentage to take control early. Haluska and Sellers each put down early kills, but Air Force's balanced attack led to a 25–13 opening-set win.
Fresno State responded with grit in the second set, outlasting the Falcons in a back-and-forth battle that featured 13 ties. Haluska led the way with six kills in the frame, while Legault and Washington each added key points late. The Bulldogs fought off set point at 24–25 and rallied behind consecutive kills to win 27–25, evening the match at one set apiece.
Air Force regained momentum in the third, hitting .469 as a team. Despite Fresno State's 15 kills and a service ace from Legault, the Falcons closed the set with a late 5–1 run to pull ahead 2–1 in the match.
The Bulldogs battled to the end, keeping the fourth frame within reach throughout. Haluska and Legault combined for nine kills in the set, while Sellers and Bitter contributed defensively at the net and in the back row. However, Air Force's timely serving and late attack push sealed the 25–22 final to take the match in four.
NOTES:
Addison Haluska led the Bulldogs offensively with 20 kills while hitting .457, her second straight match with 20 or more kills.
Jenna Legault followed with 13 kills and a team-high 14.5 points, while middle blocker Mya Sellers added five blocks and five kills on a .385 clip.
Setter Gabby Lombardi dished out 42 assists to go with seven digs and two blocks, and Peyton Bitter recorded a team-best nine digs.
As a team, Fresno State hit .252 for the match and tallied 52 kills compared to Air Force's 63.
The Bulldogs out-blocked the Falcons 7–5 and finished with 45 digs on the afternoon.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs return for their final two home games, beginning on Thursday against Utah State at 6 p.m. PT in the Save Mart Center.