FAIRBANKS, Alaska - The Nanooks endured yet another disappointing offensive performance in their final match of the Nanook Classic and, hitting -.009 in a 3-0 (13-25, 17-25, 14-25) setback against the Grand Canyon 'Lopers.
The squad has seen its offensive numbers plummet without the talents of seniors
Karlee Skalla (Las Vegas, Nev.) and
Simone Chavous (Aurora, Colo.) who have missed the majority of the season with injuries.
The blue and gold stormed out of the gates to the tune of a 3-0 run that featured a kill from
Casey Tidwell (Redlands, Calif.), a service ace from
Allison Oddy (Chilliwack, British Columbia) and an errant Grand Canyon atack. The 'Lopers turned the tide quickly however, employing a 10-1 run to take control of the set.
The 'Nooks crawled back to within eight points on a pair of occasions but that was as close as they could come, falling 13-25 in the first set.
The second set saw the teams trade points to begin and a 'Loper attack error gave the Nanooks an early 3-2 lead, but the prevailing storyline in the match continued to be the lopsided runs that Grand Canyon went on repetedly. A 10-4 spurt gave the 'Lopes the edge before the Nanooks roared back to within one point after a
Becky Martin (Cochrane, Alberta) service ace trimmed the Grand Canyon lead to just one.
The 'Lopers had the answer once again though, rattling off a 9-2 run to effectively seal the second set and place the Nanooks in an 0-2 hole.
Tidwell led the blue and gold out of the gates in the third set, smashing home three kills to give the 'Nooks an early 3-1 advantage.
Unfortunately, as it had before, the lead quickly evaporated thanks to the strong attack options from the 'Lopers. The Nanooks did themselves no favors as they hit .000 in the deciding set. The 'Nooks surrendered the final six points of the match, falling to 0-8 overall while Grand Canyon improved to 1-2 in the 2011 season.
Knight was the sole Nanook in double figures in the kills column as the sophomore posted 10 to go along with an assist and eight digs.
Tidwell chipped in seven kills and a pair of blocks assists while Martin dispensed a team-high 18 assists on the night.
As the Nanook Classic comes to a close, Alaska enters the GNAC portion of its schedule. Their first conference foe of the season - Saint Martin's - will pay a visit to the Patty Center on Thursday (Sept. 8). The Nanooks will shoot for an untarnished record in the GNAC as well as their first win when the match begins at 7 p.m.
Note: The 2011 Nanook Classic All-Tournament Team is as follows:
Tournament Champions: No. 16 Minnesota State (3-0)
Tournament Runner-Up: Dallas Baptist (2-1)
#17 Jill Storlie MB Jr. 6-2 Byron, Minn/Byron HS - Minnesota State
#1 Chelsea Fogarty OH Jr. 5-10 Belle Plaine, Minn./Belle Plaine HS - Minnesota State
#6 Cameron Hartson OH So. 5-9 Midlothian Texas - Dallas Baptist
#8 Christina Steinkruger RS Jr. 5-10 Bushland, Texas - Dallas Baptist
#10 Megan Davis RS So. 5-9 Tempe, Ariz./Mesa Westwood HS - Grand Canyon
#14
Casey Tidwell MB Jr. 6-1 Redlands, Calif./Manhattan College - Alaska
Most Valuable Player
#2 Brittany Stamer S Sr. 5-7 Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson HS - Minnesota State
Box Score
