PORTLAND, Ore. – Despite taking the first set, the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team fell to the Concordia Cavaliers 3-1 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference match on Saturday evening. Alaska went 25-21, 14-25, 15-25 and 20-25 against Concordia to extend their losing streak to 15 games. The loss drops the Nanooks to a record of 2-21 overall (1-15 GNAC), while the Cavaliers improve to 13-11 overall (9-7 GNAC).
"We lost a plyer early on to an injury, so some shuffling had to be made and given the circumstances, I'm extremely pleased with how these girls battled," head coach Brian Scott said following Saturday's game. "And even though their backs were against the wall, they stepped up and gave their best effort with everything they had. Our digs tonight were spectacular and we created some great plays while a man-down. I think we could've won that fourth set if we didn't have as many errors but give it up to Concordia, they played really well defensively."
Junior outside hitter Angela Molesworth paces the Nanooks offense for the third-straight game, posting 15 kills on the night. Molesworth's 15 kills gave her a team-high hitting percentage of .257, tallying a team-high 15 points for the Nooks.
Junior middle blocker Riley Podowicz ranked second in points for the Nanooks, recording four kills, three service aces, four block assists and one dig for 10 points. Freshman middle blocker Kim Wong ranked second in kills for Alaska, chipping in eight. Sophomore outside hitter Amberly Jeane collected five kills, six digs and three block assists for 6.5 points.
Junior setter Rachel Nichols posted the only double-double of the night, totaling 30 assists and 11 digs. Redshirt-senior Meagan Olsen had a game-high 17 digs for the Nooks, while freshman defensive specialist Jenna Hickel posted 11 digs.
As a team, the Nooks outdid the Cavaliers in digs 60-52, but it was CU who beat the Nanooks in points, kills, aces, blocks and assists. The Nooks registered 38 kills from 124 total attempts, combining for a team hitting percentage of .097. Concordia, on the other hand, had 55 kills and a team-hitting percentage of .266.
CU's Lindsey Dorsey posted a game-high 18 kills, while Michelle Brown dished a game-high 41 assists. Dorsey barely edged out Podowicz in individual service aces, 4-3.
The Alaska Nanooks are back in action at the Alaska Airlines Court this week, as they take on Central Washington on Thursday, Nov. 10. First serve is slated for 7pm AKT and Hometown Heroes week promotion will still be running until Nov. 12.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team, follow @NanooksVB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Volleyball team page on Facebook.
