FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- After 16 days away from the Alaska Airlines Court, the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team returns home on Tuesday to open a four-match Great Northwest Athletic Conference home stand that begins with arch rival and 11th-ranked Alaska Anchorage. First serve for the match, which is presented by Ravn Alaska, is set for 7 p.m.
The Nanooks return home looking for their first win of the 2015 season. Despite its 0-9 start, Alaska has shown improvement by winning seven sets through the season's first nine matches. Last season, the Nanooks did not win their seventh set until Oct. 2, when they captured their first win of the season over Western Oregon.
Last Time Out
The Nanooks ended a six-match road trip last Saturday, as they fell in straight sets at Western Oregon. Alaska had a rough time offensively, as they hit just .065 on the night. However, the Nanooks did turn in a strong defensive effort, as they out dug the Wolves, 45-42, led by senior Miranda Grieser's 13 digs.
Welcome Back
If it feels like it's been a while since the Nanooks played at Alaska Airlines Court, you would not be mistaken. Tuesday will mark exactly 16 days since Alaska played in front of the home fans. The last time came on Sept. 5, when Alaska played two matches in one day to conclude the 2015 Flint Hills Resources Nanook Classic. On that day, Alaska dropped a pair of matches as they lost in five sets to Saint Joseph's (Ind.) and a four-set match with St. Mary's (Texas).
All-Time Series Record
When the two Alaska schools hook up on Tuesday, it will be their 104th meeting on the volleyball court. Currently, the Seawolves hold the 65-38 advantage and have won the last nine meetings in the series. The last Nanook win over UAA came on Sept. 10, 2010 with a 3-1 victory in Anchorage.
GNAC Rankings
Senior Sam Harthun ranks third in the GNAC in kills per set with her 3.29 average. In total, Harthun has collected a team-best 112 kills this season. The Oregon City, Oregon native also ranks fourth in the conference in points per set at 3.66. Sophomore Riley Podowicz leads the conference in aces per set at 0.50. Podowicz has a total of 17 aces, which is tied for the most in the GNAC this season.
Record Chaser
Barring an injury, senior Sam Harthun should move into second place on the school's all-time kills list on Tuesday, as she enters the match needing just five kills to surpass Megan Thigpen's total of 1,213. Harthun became just the third player in program history to collect 1,200 kills in her career last Saturday at Western Oregon. She currently has 1,209 kills and is 155 kills away from breaking the school's career kills record of 1,363 which is held by Mallory Bergstrom.
Assist Streak
Senior setter Miranda Grieser handed out 26 assists and collected 13 digs to post her second double-double in three matches last Saturday at Western Oregon. The 26 assists extended Grieser's double-digit match streak to 35-straight matches, a streak that spans over her entire Alaska playing career to date.
Teammates, Now Foes
Junior Meagan Olsen and Alaska Anchorage All-American Julia Mackey have a long history with each other, as Olsen served as Mackey's setter at West Valley High School in Fairbanks. The duo helped WVHS to three-straight Mid-Alaska Conference titles.
Scouting the Opposition – No. 11 Alaska Anchorage
The Seawolves enter Tuesday's match as the No. 11-ranked team in the nation in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll. Currently, UAA is 10-0 and 2-0 in the GNAC after beating Western Oregon in four sets and Concordia in straight sets on the road last weekend. Alaska Anchorage has been feature in the AVCA Top 25 Poll in each of the last three weeks.
Alaska Anchorage is the top-ranked offensive team in the GNAC, as they hold a .283 hitting percentage. The Seawolves feature two of the top four players in the GNAC in kills per set, as Katelynn Zanders leads the conference with her 4.19 average. Fairbanks native Julia Mackey's 3.19 kills per set average is fourth-best in the league.
UAA is also one of the top teams in the GNAC defensively, as they are holding opponents to a .144 hitting percentage, a mark that is second-best in the conference. The Seawolves have a total of 551 digs this season through 36 sets, for an average of 15.31. Kyla Militante-Amper leads the team with 137 digs and is seventh in the GNAC in digs per set with her 4.15 average.
Coaches Corner
"We're very excited to be home, traveling has been tough, so it's just nice to be able to be in our own gym in front of our fans. We come home and face our rivals to the south, and they are a very talented team. We're going to give a good effort on every ball and try to go point-for-point with every team that we play this year." – Head coach Brian Scott on returning home and playing Alaska Anchorage.
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