ELLENSBURG, Wash. -- The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team looks to extend its season-best winning streak to three matches on Thursday, as travel to Central Washington (RV) to take on the Wildcats for Great Northwest Athletic Conference match. First serve is set for 6 p.m. AKT.
The Nanooks (2-11, 2-4 GNAC) strung together a pair of wins last week, as they defeated Saint Martin's in five sets on Thursday and followed up with a four-set victory over Seattle Pacific. It was a pair of landmark wins for Alaska, as the victory over the Saints marked the first win of the Brian Scott era, while the triumph over SPU gave the Nanooks their first win over the Falcons in seven years.
Last Time Out
The Alaska Nanooks offense was firing on all cylinders, as they had three players post double-digit kills in the same match for the first time this season to defeat Seattle Pacific for the first time since 2008. Senior Sam Harthun collected a match-best 15 kills, while freshman Amberly Jeane landed 11 balls and redshirt junior Kensey Mix posted a career-best 10 kills.
The Nanooks also strung together their best defensive effort of the season, as they held SPU to a .056 hitting percentage. Redshirt senior Samantha Hesterman collected a career-best 23 digs, while senior Miranda Grieser posted 11 digs to go along with 27 assists to give her third double-double of the year.
All-Time Series
Central Washington holds a 26-10 advantage in the all-time series against the Nanooks. The Wildcats have won nine straight in the series, with the Alaska victory coming on Oct. 9, 2010 in Fairbanks.
GNAC Offensive Player of the Week
Senior outside hitter Sam Harthun earned her first GNAC weekly accolade since the 2013 season, as she was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week after collecting a total of 35 kills in two matches against Saint Martin's and Seattle Pacific.
Harthun collected a season-high 20 kills against the Saints and added a career-best seven aces, while blocking two shots to total a GNAC season-best 28 points. She followed up that performance with a 15-kill effort against Seattle Pacific.
Red Lion GNAC Team of the Week
The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team was named the Red Lion GNAC Team of the Week this Monday by the Conference. The Nanooks posted back-to-back wins for the first time in nearly a year, as they defeated Saint Martin's and Seattle Pacific.
In the win over SMU, the Nanooks landed a GNAC season-best 20 service aces to pick up their first win of the season with a 3-2 (25-17, 25-15, 24-26, 20-25, 15-7) victory. Senior Sam Harthun and sophomore Riley Podowicz each landed a career-best seven aces, which is the highest total by a player in the GNAC this season.
Alaska followed up with a win its first win over Seattle Pacific since the 2008 season, as the Nanooks defeated Falcons 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 25-16).
Mixing It Up
Redshirt junior Kensey Mix enjoyed a career game against the Falcons last Saturday, as she collected a career-best 10 kills and hit .286 in the win. She also collected a career-best six blocks to help the Nanooks to a season-best 10.5 blocks.
Defensive Charge
The Nanooks put forth its best defensive effort of the season last Saturday, as they collected a season-best 60 digs, 10.5 blocks and held Seattle Pacific to a season-low .056. Redshirt senior Samantha Hesterman posted a career-best 23 digs, while setter Miranda Grieser picked up 11. The duo of Maddie Davis and Kensey Mix picked up six assisted blocks each, a career-best total for both team.
Scouting the Opposition – Central Washington
The Wildcats enter Thursday's match in third place in the GNAC standings with a 5-1 mark in conference play. CWU has won three-straight matches and posts a 9-4 overall record. They received 22 votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
Offensively, Central Washington is hitting .230 on the year, which is the third-highest mark in the conference. Sabrina Wheelhouse is the top hitter in the GNAC, as she is sporting a .407 hitting percentage, as she has landed 96 kills in 182 attempts with only 22 attack errors. Linden Firethorne is second in the league in kills per set with her 3.60 average. Firethorne has a total of 180 kills in 50 sets this year.
The Wildcats are holding teams to a .171 hitting percentage, which is the fourth-lowest mark in the GNAC. CWU is the top blocking team in the league, with its 3.07 blocks per set average. Kaitlin Quirk leads the league in blocks per set with her 1.43 average, as she has collected 73 total blocks. Wheelhouse also ranks in the top five in blocks per set with her 1.40 average. Conversely, Central Washington ranks 10th in digs per set with a 13.88 average.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team, follow @NanooksVB on Twitter or like Alaska Nanooks Volleyball on Facebook.
