FAIRBANKS- The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team looks to break into the win column this week, as it hosts a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference foes Thursday and Saturday.
Something has to give Thursday, which has been dubbed 80's night in the Patty Center. The Nanooks (0-14. 0-6 GNAC) welcome Western Oregon (2-11, 0-5 GNAC), as one team will finish the night with its first conference win.
Watch LiveLive Stats Nanook junior
Sam Harthun put down 31 kills and tallied 26 digs, as Alaska dropped three GNAC matches last week. Freshman
Brooke Mattice swung for 27 kills, while junior setter
Miranda Grieser delivered a team-high five service aces in the three-game span. Freshman middle blocker
Riley Podowicz hit .417, in two road matches last week, knocking down 11 kills on 24 swings, with just one error to earn Ravn Alaska Nanook of the Week honors.
"Competing with Western Oregon is always a great match-up for us," said head coach
Mallory Larranaga. "They have a couple strong offensive threats that will test our defense both at the net and on the back line, but we feel well prepared and we have improved each match we've played."
Western Oregon dropped matches to Central Washington (10-3, 3-2 GNAC) and Saint Martins (4-12, 1-4 GNAC) last week. The Saints visit Alaska Anchorage (11-3, 5-1 GNAC) Thursday, before traveling north to face the Nanooks Saturday night.
Continued Larranaga, "Saint Martin's is a scrappy opponent, which I like, because it will push us in our endurance and our relentless pursuit of the ball. Being a young team we need to make smart choices to end long rallies and execute with low error play."
Saturday's match is Junior Nanooks Night. Immediately following the match, the 'Nooks will greet fans in the Patty Center lobby to sign autographs.
