FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team and head coach Brian Scott have released their revised 2020 volleyball season for the Spring of 2021. The Nanooks will play four home matches and six on the road for a total of 10 games. 
 
The season will officially begin on March 5, 2021 in Fairbanks as the 'Nooks will host in-state rival, Alaska Anchorage in a 7:00 p.m. match. They will face-off the following night at the same time in the Patty Center. Following their face-off with the Seawolves, Alaska heads to California to play Biola University on March 8 and Concordia-Irvine on March 9. Both of those games are scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. AKT. 
 
A 10-day break follows their trip to California in preparation for Northwest Nazarene. The Nighthawks will make the trip to Fairbanks on March 19-20 with both games beginning at 7:00 p.m. AKT. After NNU, the 'Nooks will head to Anchorage for another two-game set with UAA on March 26-27. The first night at the Alaska Airlines Center is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. AKT start with the second game beginning at 1:00 p.m. AKT. 
 
Coach Scott and the Nanooks head to Nampa, Idaho to face-off with the Nighthawks to end their regular-season. The April 2-3 matchups are set to begin at noon AKT and 11:00 a.m. AKT. 
 
All scheduled dates and times are subject to change. Announcements for schedule changes will be found on all social media accounts and can be found on the Alaska Volleyball Schedule. 
 
Fans
At the moment, the Alaska Nanooks athletic department and University of Alaska Fairbanks will not be allowing fans to attend any live events in the Patty Center. We continue to follow the latest news on COVID-19 and will keep the sports community updated on if fans attending games is deemed possible. Live streaming for all volleyball matches can be found on the official Alaska Nanooks YouTube page and live stats will be announced at a later date. 
 
Head coach Brian Scott's Thoughts
We are very appreciative of the opportunity to compete. It has been a difficult year dealing with COVID and trying to train and improve. We are very grateful to UAF and our administration for this opportunity to compete and develop. This shortened season allows all of our athletes to get valuable game-like repetitions. It will make us a better team for a normal GNAC schedule in the fall. 
 
GNAC Update
From Jan. 8, 2021
 
After careful review of the assorted challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic and to better serve the needs of its membership, the Management Council of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference has approved institutional autonomy in scheduling for the spring 2021 seasons for men's soccer, women's soccer, volleyball and cross country.

"Given our extensive footprint and the variety of local challenges related to the pandemic, the decision regarding fall sports was taken in the best interests of the student-athletes and our member institutions," said GNAC commissioner Dave Haglund. "Since our institutions are affected in different ways, untethering our membership from continually changing conference schedules provides the best opportunity for those seeking to provide meaningful competitive opportunities to their student-athletes to do so."

As the independent scheduling format is intended to provide maximum flexibility to the GNAC's member institutions, the Council also decided that the conference will not declare regular-season champions or conduct postseason championships in volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer or cross country.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the GNAC voted in July to postpone the conference's fall seasons. The athletic directors of the conference's football institutions voted in September to not play a conference schedule in that sport during the 2020-21 academic year.

The conference also determined that its leadership councils will meet in mid-February to assess conference scheduling in the sports of baseball and softball and well as evaluate the viability of conference postseason championship events in baseball, softball, golf, outdoor track and field and rowing.

The recommendations of the Management Council were approved by the GNAC's CEO Board.

Follow Along
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team, follow @NanooksVB on Twitter, or like the Alaska Nanooks Volleyball team page on Facebook.