Box Score
FAIRBANKS, AK – The Alaska Nanooks erased a two-set deficit to top the Montana State-Billings Yellowjackets 3-2 Thursday night and clinch their Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener in dramatic fashion in front of a rowdy crowd of 218 fans. The Nanooks fell into a 2-0 hole before bouncing back in dramatic fashion to win the next three sets by a combined nine points.
MSUB jumped out to an early advantage in the first and second sets, taking the pair by scores of 24-26 and 19-25. The Yellowjackets took the home team to the brink of elimination with three match points but the Nanooks rallied back to take the encounter 29-27 and live to see another set. The Blue and Gold then forced MSUT to a deciding fifth set with a convincing 25-20 win in game four, before sealing the comeback with an exciting 16-14 triumph in the final set.
Four Nanooks earned double-digit kills and digs as they gritted their way to victory. Senior right side
Jessica Hill (Colorado Springs, CO) led the Nanooks with 18 kills while only committing three errors. Outside hitter
Megan Thigpen (Spokane, WA) registered a double-double with 16 kills and 17 digs and freshman
Allison Oddy (Chilliwack, BC) tied her mark with 17 digs also.
Freshman middle blocker
Sydney Van Munster (Portland, MI) recorded 16 kills and hit a .303 clip for the match. She also knew the importance of keeping the energy up with such a slow start. “We couldn't get down,” she said “It is a new game every time and that is how we treated it.”
Senior outside hitter
Heather Lyons (Anchorage, AK) also played with the same intensity and in turn turned in a double-double performance with 15 kills and 18 digs. “It was very important to know this was a battle,” Lyons said “It came down to who can close it out, and we did. We were not ready to be done and we just didn't give up.”
Setter
Alexa Sherman (Calabasas, CA) had another solid match for the Blue and Gold with 54 assists and 17 digs along with three blocks, the most important of which proved the match winner.
Montana State-Billings was led by outside hitter Devon Crotteau who had a match-high 31 kills and 14 digs. Hillary Morrison had 55 assists and 10 digs and Jill Trabing had 23 digs for the Yellowjackets in the loss.
“Montana played a great match,” said Alaska's head coach Phil Shoemaker “We also played really well. It shows character when it comes down to who comes up with the big play when it matters most, and that was us.”
The Nanooks will return to action when they travel to Ellensburg, WA to face Central Washington on September 24. The match is set for 6:00 PM AST.
