Box Score PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team was tripped up by Great Northwest Athletic Conference newcomer, Concordia University (Ore.), on Thursday as they defeated the Nanooks, 3-0 (19-25, 17-25, 22-25), to open GNAC play.
Alaska (0-8, 0-1 GNAC) got a 10-kill performance from senior Sam Harthun and a nine-kill effort from freshman Amberly Jeane, but a stingy Concordia (9-0, 1-0 GNAC) limited the Nanooks to just a .108 hitting percentage. Concordia to hit .414 and .346 in the first two sets of the match, but the Alaska defense regrouped and held the Cavaliers under .100 in set three, at .029.
"We got off to a slow defensive start tonight" said head coach Brian Scott after the match. "We didn't start blocking until midway through the second set, and we needed more discipline from our players in the backcourt for our system to work the way it is intended. But I have to give credit to our girls, they never stopped battling. We are getting better and better at consistently battling with our opponent, and as long as we keep that up and give a strong effort in our matches, good things are going to happen."
The Cavaliers opened the first match of the GNAC season with a 10-3 lead over the Nanooks, thanks to a 6-0 run. Concordia eventually took a 10-point lead in the opening set at 17-7, but Alaska pulled the set within four points at 22-18, after a Cavalier set error. The Nanooks could not erase their early deficit, as Concordia took the set, 25-19.
Alaska battled CU to a 5-5 tie to open set number two, but a quick 3-0 spurt from the Cavaliers gave the an 8-5 advantage. The Nanooks were able to maintain its three-point deficit midway through the frame, but a 6-2 run from Concordia pushed its advantage to 16-9 before claiming the set-two win, 25-17.
The Nanooks opened with a 5-4 lead in set three after a Harthun kill. The two teams battled back and forth over the next few points, but a 3-0 run by Concordia broke a 7-7 tie. A Jeane kill pulled Alaska within two points at 12-10, but the Cavs rolled off the set's next four points to push their advantage to six at 16-10. Alaska attempted a final comeback with a 6-2 run of its own to pull within two at 18-16, but Concordia kept the Nanooks at bay, as they won the set, 25-22, to capture the match in straight sets.
For Harthun, tonight's performance pushes her career kills total 1,198, just 15 kills away from moving into a second-place tie on the school's all-time kills list.
Redshirt junior Kensey Mix hit a team-best .235 on 17 attempts, as she collected six kills. Senior Miranda Grieser extended her double-digit assist streak to 34 matches, as she handed out 25 helpers. Redshirt senior Samantha Hesterman also turned in a season-best performance defensively, as she collected a season-high 15 digs to lead the team.
Alaska will wrap up its six-match road trip on Saturday, as the Nanooks take on Western Oregon University. First serve from Monmouth, Oregon is set for 6 p.m. AKT.
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