Aug. 31, 2007
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FAIRBANKS, AK - The Alaska Nanooks sent the Patty Center crowd home happy on Friday night, claiming a 3-1 win over a Hawaii-Hilo team that they beat by that same margin just six days ago. The Nanooks move to 5-1 on the season while the Vulcans drop to 3-2.
"It was a great game: a really terrific win," said head coach Phil Shoemaker. "I love the way this team is gelling and improving on a daily basis. The way that we can adjust, and change what needs to be changed on the run: that's the mark of a good team."
Alaska took the early lead with a 30-20 victory in the first set but UHH got revenge in the second game with a 30-21 advantage. The teams traded points through most of the third game until senior outside hitter Jessica King (Hailey, ID) took control and got five straight points to make it 21-18, eventually taking the game 30-22.
"We decided at the very beginning of that game that we were going to win," said King. "When we came back from the dressing room, we were refocused and determined that we were going to win. I just wanted to play as hard as I can. I didn't hold anything back: I wanted to let loose and be the aggressor."
From there, the Nanooks never looked back, taking command of the fourth game to claim a 30-24 victory, much to the delight of the noisy Patty Center crowd, which included a raucous group of the Nanooks cross country side.
"The energy from the crowd helped a ton," said King. "It was so fun to be here with all the noise, and it got us a little more excited and little more fired up when we were out there."
With sophomore Megan Thigpen still feeling the effects of her Achilles injury, Alaska was forced to spread their attack out to good effect. Four Nanooks finished in double digits for kills, with 18 by King, 17 by Jessica Hill, and 10 apiece for Thigpen and middle hitter Korlyn Bolster.
The Vulcans were led by freshman Hillary Hurley, who the Nanooks could find no answer for in the second game. Hurley finished the night with 19 kills and an impressive .385 hitting percentage.
The hard fought victory should give Alaska a bit of momentum going into tomorrow's titanic encounter with undefeated University of West Florida, who clinically swept through Humboldt State 3-0 in the tournament's first match. That match will get underway at the Patty Center at 11 a.m., followed by the Hawaii-Hilo vs. Humboldt State tilt at 1:00 p.m. Both games will also be broadcast live on www.alaskananooks.com.
