Video Interview -- Knight and Ferland
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska women's volleyball team could not have picked a better time this season to carry momentum from one match to the next.
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Coming off their first win over Western Oregon in four years last Saturday, the Nanooks (3-14, 2-4 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) host arch rival and GNAC leader Alaska Anchorage (12-6, 6-0 GNAC) at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Patty Center.
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The Seawolves have shot to the top of the GNAC standings thanks to a six-match winning streak. But despite the two teams' distance from each other in the standings, the match should be a competitive one. Only two of the last six Nanooks-Seawolves matches have ended in sweeps. Both matches last season went the full five sets, with Alaska Anchorage coming out on top in both.
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The Nanooks last defeated the Seawolves in Fairbanks on Sept. 27, 2008 with a 3-2 win. Alaska Anchorage has won five in a row in the series and seven of the last eight dating back to 2009, but it will have to slow down the momentum of senior captain outside hitter Keri Knight (Arvada, Colo./Business Administration), who has gathered some momentum of her own as of late.
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Knight was named GNAC Red Lion Co-Offensive Player of the Week after tallying 26 kills and hitting .357 over the weekend. Knight has notched at least seven kills in eight straight matches, and during that stretch has raised her hitting percentage by 127 points, from .066 to .193.
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Redshirt sophomore defensive specialist Jordan Ferland (Beavercreek, Ore./Emergency Management) had a career match Saturday. Ferland made the most of her first career start, posting five service aces and serving for 14 Nanooks points, as Alaska went on to beat Western Oregon 3-1 – the first time the Nanooks defeated the Wolves in Fairbanks in seven years.
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Sophomore outside hitter Sam Harthun (Oregon City, Ore./Art) continues to rank among the nation's best and lead all players in the GNAC in two categories. She is ranked 22nd in the country in points per set (4.47) and 23rd in kills per set (3.89).
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The Nanooks set season highs last Saturday against Western Oregon in kills (49), assists (48) and total blocks (9). Alaska has held its opponents to a .290 team hitting percentage or lower in seven of its last eight matches.
Saturday night is also "Pack the Patty" night. There will be plenty of prizes and giveaways before and during the match, as the Nanooks look to fill the Patty Center for this rivalry match.
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Match #18: Alaska Anchorage at Alaska – Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. (AKDT)
Important Links: Â Â LIVE STATSÂ Â Â Â LIVE VIDEO
Alaska Anchorage (12-6, 6-0 GNAC) extended its winning streak to six with a pair of home sweeps on Oct. 3 and 5. UAA received votes for the second straight week in the AVCA Div. II Top 25 Coaches' Poll, checking in at 'No. 33' with nine votes. At 6-0, the Seawolves are off to their best GNAC start since the league's founding in 2001.
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Julia Mackey ranks among the GNAC's top 10 in attack percentage (.274) and kills per set (3.21). Mackey is one of only two GNAC players averaging at least 3.0 kills and hitting .250. Katelyn Zanders is right behind Mackey in total kills with 200. The Seawolves have five players with over 100 digs and five with 31 or more total blocks.
