Box Score FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team knocked off Seattle Pacific University for the first time in seven years on Saturday night, as the Nanooks capped off their four-match Great Northwest Athletic Conference home stand with a thrilling 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16) victory over the Falcons.
With the win, Alaska has now posted back-to-back wins for the first time this season, and for the first time since Oct. 2 and Oct. 4 of last year, when they took two straight matches against Western Oregon and Saint Martin's in Fairbanks. It is also the first Nanooks win over Seattle Pacific (4-10, 2-4 GNAC) since Oct. 25, 2008, when they took a four-set match over the Falcons in the Emerald City to complete a season sweep of SPU.
"It's nice to see these girls reach new heights and reach new playing levels every time they step on the floor," said an exhilarated Brian Scott after the match. "I'm pretty happy about what took place tonight. Our blocking came together tonight, which is something that we've been preaching to them. Our defensive effort was simply amazing, we have a season-best 10.5 blocks tonight, and on top of a season-best 60 digs, and I'm thrilled about both numbers."
The defensive effort was led by redshirt senior libero Samantha Hesterman, who posted a career-high 23 digs, and the blocking combination of redshirt junior Kensey Mix and redshirt sophomore Maddie Davis, who each collected six assisted blocks. The Nanooks limited the Falcons offense to a .056 hitting percentage, the lowest mark a team has hit against Alaska this season.
Senior setter Miranda Grieser added 11 digs to go along with 27 assists to post her third double-double of the season. The 27 assists also extends her double-digit assists streak to 39 matches.
Tonight's 60-dig performance is not only a season-best for the Nanooks, but it is also the second-highest collection of digs in a four set match in the GNAC this season.
Senior outside hitter Sam Harthun continued her dominance of late, as she collected a match-best 15 kills. Tonight's performance gives her a total of 35 in two matches this week, as she landed a season-best 20 balls in Thursday's five-set win over Saint Martin's. The 15 kills pushes Harthun's double-digit kill streak to nine matches and puts her just 89 kills away from tying the school's all-time record.
Mix not only was a defensive stud on the night, but was she was also able to turn in a career-best 10-kill performance. The redshirt junior hit .280 on the night, as she committed just three errors in 25 swings. Freshman Amberly Jeane joined Harthun and Mix in the double-digit kill category, as she landed 11 balls. Jeane also hit a career-best .320 in the win, as her kill total helped the Nanooks have three players with double-digit kills this season.
The night started with Grieser serving up eight-straight points, as Alaska used that run to spark a 10-2 advantage in set one. Seattle Pacific rallied and pulled within two, at 13-11 after service ace from Amanda Ganete, but the Nanooks responded with a 5-2 spurt, capped off by a Davis kill, to push their lead to 18-13. Alaska was able to fend off the Falcons in the set, as a set error from SPU gave Alaska a 25-20 victory.
Grieser again opened a set on a run, as she served up the first four points of set two. Alaska pushed its advantage to 10-5 to force Seattle Pacific to take a timeout. The Falcons responded with seven of the set's next nine points out of the break, as they pulled within one at 12-11. The Nanooks responded with a 7-2 run of their own to extend their lead back out to six at 19-13, before they closed out the set with a 25-22 win to give them a 2-0 advantage heading into the break.
Seattle Pacific rolled of five straight points to start set three, but Alaska regrouped and took a 14-13 lead after a Harthun kill. Both teams battled point-for-point over the next several rallies, before SPU went on a 5-0 run to give them a 23-18 lead, before taking a 25-21 set victory.
Tied at 9-9 in the fourth set, the two teams had an extended rally that changed the complexion of the entire match. Junior Jennifer Morris, who had just checked in before the serve, collected three athletic digs in the rally, which brought the fans to their feet before the Nanooks dropped the point. Morris' defensive performance in the rally sparked both the crowd and her team, as Alaska rolled off the next three points to take a 12-10 lead. The Nanooks would go on to score seven of the sets next eight points to give them an insurmountable lead and put an end to seven years of futility against the Falcons, as they took the set 25-16, to win the match 3-1.
Alaska wraps up it four-match home stand at 2-2, as they'll now take to the road for a quick two-match GNAC road trip to Central Washington and Northwest Nazarene. The Nanooks will take on the CWU Wildcats on Oct. 8 before challenging the Crusaders on Oct. 10.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team, follow @NanooksVB on Twitter or like Alaska Nanooks Volleyball on Facebook.
