[Box Score]
ANCHORAGE, AK – Alaska Nanooks senior outside hitter Tereza Bendlova turned in a double-double performance with 19 kills and 14 digs to lead the Blue and Gold to a 25-21, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23 upset their archrival Alaska Anchorage Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
With the win, Alaska snapped UAA's nine-match home winning streak and improved to 2-1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Also checking in with double-figure kills was Simone Chavous, while right side hitter Karlee Skalla, who missed the first eight matches with an ankle sprain, pounded out nine kills in her debut.
The Seawolves looked to take an early lead in the match as they held a 20-18 advantage in the first set; however, the Nanooks rallied with a 5-0 run to take control early. Alaska carried the momentum forward, building a 7-2 lead. UAA did not back down and responded to close out the match on the winning end, evening the score as the teams headed into the intermission.
The third set proved tight as the teams were tied five times early on but a series of Seawolf attack errors coupled with a pair of kills from Bendlova and Skalla widened the gap to 20-13. The Nanooks held on to take the set 25-21.
It looked as though the teams would need a deciding fifth set, as UAA carried a 23-30 lead in the fourth set. The Nanooks proved rude guests in the end though, ending the set and the match with a five-point streak for their first win against their archrivals in two years.
The Nanooks return to action Thursday, Sept. 23, when they host Western Washington at the Patty Center. First serve is at 7 p.m.
