NAMPA, Idaho - The Alaska Nanooks dropped to 13-7, 3-5 GNAC with a three-set loss to Northwest Nazarene on Thursday, Oct. 6 in Nampa, Idaho. The win moved NNU to 12-4, 5-3 GNAC.
Unfortunately for the Nanooks, 22 errors and a sideout average of 45% played a key role in their 3-0 loss to the NNU NIghthawks. After posting a 52% sideout rate in the first set, despite falling 26-24, the Nanooks dropped to 44% in their set two loss and 41% in their set three loss. NNU took set two 25-17 and finished off Alaska in the third 25-20. NNU also used a .268 hit percentage compared to the 'Nooks .089.
In the first, the Nanooks used an early spark to push ahead 12-8 behind a servie error. Olivia Wright snapped the run as NNU battled back to take a one-point lead at 13-12. After trading a pair of trades, the Nighthawks kept the momentum. They jumped ahead by four before Alaska rallied back to tie the game at 19-19. They snagged the lead back and made it a 20-19 lead but NNU rebalanced itself and took the set 26-24, fending off a late push by the 'Nooks. The Nanooks had two attackers with three kills in the first;
Elena Guc and
Karli Nielson. In the second, NNU jumped ahead 11-4 quickly before the Nanooks made a run to pull within a pair at 14-12. A block by
Elizabeth Jackson and
Kelli Wright made the deficit a pair before NNU ran ahead once again. A
Karli Nielson service ace made it a two-point game again at 16-14 but two was the closest the 'Nooks got. They made it 17-15 NNU on a
Rilee White kill before NNu stretched their lead to 24-17, eventually winning the second 25-17.
In the third, NNU rolled out to another early lead of 11-4 before making it a 10-point deficit for the Nanooks at 16-6. Alaska got back on track in the third, pulling within four at 17-13 NNU, but after back-to-back kills by Nielson and White, NNU snapped their run and turned it into a 19-14 lead. Once again, the Nanooks made a late push, pulling within one at 21-20 on another Nielson kill, but that ended up being their final point of the night as NNU won the next four points to win the set 25-20 and match in three.
Rilee White led the way for the Nanooks with nine kills on a .139 hit percentage, 10 digs and 16 receptions.
Karli Nielson followed with eight kills, four digs, two aces and one dig.
Jessa Long ended the night with a game-high 17 digs while
Ainsley Smith posted 19 assists and
Taylor Overn added 11.
The Nanooks now get ready for a matchup with Central Washington on Saturday, Oct. 8 in Ellensburg, Wash. at 12:00 p.m. AKT.
