FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team hits the road for two Great Northwest Athletic Conference matches this week, taking on the Western Oregon Wolves on Thursday, Oct. 12 before facing the Concordia Cavaliers on Saturday, Oct. 14. Alaska will play both matches at 6pm AKDT.
Currently, the Nanooks sit with an overall mark of 8-9 on the season and hold a GNAC record of 1-7.
Where to Watch & Listen
If fans aren't able to make this weekend's games, all Alaska Nanooks volleyball games for the remainder of the season (home and away) will be streamed live for free through the Alaska Nanooks Stretch Internet Portal (link posted above). Fans have the option to watch the stream, follow the live stats or both. Please be advised that when on the road, Alaska volleyball games are produced and streamed through the respected home school.
Last Time Out
Last week, Alaska saw its current losing streak run to four matches with a pair of three-set losses to Western Washington and Simon Fraser. The Nanooks fell 19-25, 15-25 and 23-25 to the then-No. 11th-ranked Vikings on Thursday before dropping 21-25, 22-25 and 21-25 against the Clan on Saturday.
GNAC Standings
Alaska currently sits in 11th place in the GNAC standings with a 1-7 conference mark. Alaska is one of only six teams in the league with eight-or-more wins throughout the entire season and Saturday's loss to Simon Fraser marks the first time throughout the 2017 season that Alaska has dipped under a .500 winning percentage overall. Northwest Nazarene remains in first place in the conference standings with an 8-1 GNAC record after receiving their first conference loss to Central Washington.
Lerma Leads
Sophomore outside hitter
Gabby Lerma led the Nanooks offensively last week with 16 kills in two matches, topped by a nine-kill performance against Western Washington on Thursday. Entering this week of competition, Lerma leads the Nanooks in total kills with 151 on the season.
Conference Leaders (Courtesy of the GNAC Weekly Release)
- Sophomore libero Jenna Hickel added 29 digs to her total as she ranks seventh in the GNAC with 4.82 digs per set. Hickel recorded 16 of those digs in the three-set loss to Western Washington.
- Alaska enters the week second in the GNAC in aces with 1.68 aces per set. Freshman setter Cate Whiting is fifth in the GNAC with 0.38 aces per set while freshman outside hitter Markie Miller is eighth with 0.35 aces per set. Senior outside hitter Maddie Davis led all GNAC players last week with seven aces.
- Alaska enters the week third in the GNAC with .219 hitting percentage with sophomore middle blocker Kim Wong ranking fourth individually with a .322 hitting percentage. The Nanooks are fourth in the GNAC in kills with 12.97 per set.
Scouting the Competition – Western Oregon (6-9 overall, 2-6 GNAC)
The Western Oregon Wolves split last week, falling 0-3 to Concordia before snapping a six-match losing streak with a three-set sweep of Montana State Billings. Junior opposite Mariella Vandenkooy led the Wolves offensively with 39 kills and led the GNAC with 6.50 kills per set while posting a .365 hitting percentage. Junior setter Leila Holt finished the week with 72 assists and tied for the GNAC lead with 12 assists per set. Senior outside hitter Alisha Bettinson enters the week ranking third in the GNAC with 3.84 kills per set (211 total).
Scouting the Competition – Concordia (8-7 overall, 3-5 GNAC)
The Cavaliers opened a four-match homestead with a pair of three-set sweeps over Western Oregon and Montana State Billings last week. Senior opposite Lindsey Dorsey led the Cavs offense with 27 kills and .396 hitting percentage in the two matches with a double-double (17 kills, 10 digs) against MSUB. Senior middle blocker Colby Barnette added 23 kills in the victory, paced by a team-leading 12 kills against Western Oregon. Concordia enters the week third in the GNAC with 12.22 assists per set, 13.06 kills per set and 1.63 aces per set.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team, follow @NanooksVB on Twitter or like the Alaska Nanooks Volleyball team page on Facebook.
