Jan. 23, 2007
FAIRBANKS, AK - Alaska head volleyball coach Phil Shoemaker announced that the Nanooks' 2007 competition schedule has been set, which includes two pre-season tournaments and 23 NCAA Division II matches.
Shoemaker has penciled in a balanced schedule for his 2007 squad, as his team will split pre-season competition at two tournaments in late August, one away and one at home, before delving into Great Northwest Athletic Conference play the second weekend in September.
For their first four matches of the season, Alaska will say "aloha" when they visit Hilo, Hawaii, to play in the Hawaiian Style Classic, August 23-25. Joining the Nanooks in the tournament field are host University of Hawaii at Hilo, Chaminade University, Hawaii Pacific University, California State University Monterey Bay, CSU Dominguez Hills, Rollins College (FL) and Texas Women's University. The eight-team tournament follows a "Hawaiian Challenge" format to ensure the Hawaiian teams don't play each other.
"I like our schedule," said Shoemaker. "The trip to Hawaii is pretty exciting because besides some great volleyball, we will hope to have a day to check out the volcanoes, water falls, and scenery that Hawaii is known for."
The Nanooks return to Fairbanks Labor Day weekend to host the Auto Service Company Nanook Classic, their four-team round-robin tournament. The Classic will kick-off Friday August 31 and Saturday September 1, at the Patty Center. This year's field pairs Alaska in matches against Hawaii-Hilo, West Florida and Humboldt State.
"Our tournament should be an exciting and well-balanced field," Shoemaker added. "I think the level of competition will be very good for us and help us prepare well for the GNAC season."
Following their tournament, the Nanooks will open their regular-season conference schedule at home against their arch-rivals the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves.
They will head south the following weekend to visit Western Washington University and Central Washington University, Sept. 13 and 15, respectively, after which they return to Fairbanks to host GNAC newcomer Montana State University at Billings on Sept. 20 and Seattle University on Sept. 22.
Alaska closes out the month of September on the road at Northwest Nazarene University and Seattle Pacific University.
The majority of October will be spent in Fairbanks with five-of-seven matches being played at the Patty Center. The Nanooks open the month with a three-match homestand, hosting Saint Martins University and Western Oregon University on the 4th and 6th, respectively, to complete the first half of GNAC matches. CWU will visit Fairbanks on the 11th to kick-off the second round of conference match-ups.
After a weekend trip to Seattle and then Billings, where the Nanooks will face Seattle and MSU Billings, they will return to the Golden Heart City to host their final home matches of the season on Oct. 25 against SPU and Oct. 27, against NNU.
Shoemaker will take his squad on the road for the final three games of the regular-season, making stops in Monmouth, Oregon, to play WOU, Lacey, WA, to take on SMU and finally Anchorage to battle UAA for bragging rights on Nov. 10. Shoemaker noted the conference schedule will continue to challenge teams and provide competitive matches.
"The GNAC was a good young league in 2006," he said. "I think the GNAC will be that much stronger in 2007."
Last year's Nanooks finished the season 7-16 overall and 6-10 in the GNAC, a turn around from the 2005 season when they went 1-21 and 1-17 in conference. Alaska will only have to fill one spot in the fall left by senior middle hitter Katrina Jensen, who exhausted her eligibility.
"We made really good progress last fall and having 12 returning players will be a huge plus," he said. "In order for us to move up in the rankings, which we expect to do, we will need to work very, very hard from now through next fall."
The Nanooks began individual and small group workouts with the coaching staff in the gym and the weight room last week, which will continue for up to eight hours a week until Feb. 20. The whole team will begin spring practices after that for 45 days.
"I think tenacious is a pretty good word to describe the needed intensity for our preparations and competitions," Shoemaker added. "This team has every reason to be excited for the challenges ahead with the knowledge that great things are possible."
"Talk is cheap though. Time for action."
