USAF ACADEMY, Co.—McNeese volleyball put up a valiant effort Monday afternoon in its 3-0 (19-25, 25-27, 26-28) loss at Air Force (5-2) that saw the final two sets extend beyond the regular 25-point set. The final two sets could have gone either way.
 
After picking up a season high kills against UC-Santa Barbara last Saturday, junior Keegan Nelms bettered that with 11 today to lead McNeese. Junior Angela McGownd, a native of Colorado, concluded her visit to her home state with a team high 15 digs. Angela Aguilera also recorded double figure digs with 11. Caitlin Sharrock dished out 11 assists and freshman Paige Havel led all players with five blocks which also marked her season high.
 
McNeese (0-7) trailed by as many as eight points early in the first set but cut into the Air Force lead on a block assists by Nelms and Allison Lippert followed by a kill by Nelms. After an Air Force error, Abigail Miksch's kill gave the Falcons the first set win and a 1-0 lead.
 
Air Force opened set two by scoring the first four points before a service error put McNeese on the board. Air Force continued to increase its lead and held as much as a 20-9 lead before McNeese went on a 15-4 run to tie the set at 24 all on a service ace by Aguilera.
 
Air Force regained the lead on a kill but the set would even up again at 25 all on a service error. The Falcons squeaked out the second set win by the score of 27-25, on back to back kills by Elizabeth Pennington and Denise Ssozi.
 
In the final set, McNeese rallied from a 23-19 deficit on a 5-1 run and staved off four set points to even the set at 24 on a kill by Nelms. An Ace by Emilie Ickes gave McNeese its first lead of the set (25-24) but an Air Force kill tied it up again at 25.
 
The Cowgirls retook the lead on a Falcon service error but another kill by Pennington once again tied the set at 26. A McNeese error put Air Force up 27-26 before Pennington put the set and match away with her match high 15^th kill.
 
McNeese will travel to Pullman, Washington this weekend for the Washington State Cougar Challenge. The Cowgirls will face Washington State and Stony Brook on Friday, and Illinois State on Saturday.