SEATTLE, Wash. - The Nanooks volleyball team fell to the SPU Falcons on Thursday, Sept. 15 in Seattle, Wash. With the loss, Alaska falls to 11-4, 1-2 GNAC.

Seattle Pacific was able to grab the four-set win after taking the opening set and sets three and four. They opened the night with a 25-27 win over the 'Nooks before Alaska answered back with a strong 25-15 set-two win. SPU answered back, unfortunately, taking the third and fourth 20-25 and 23-25.

In the first Seattle Pacific jumped out to a 1-5 lead. A block by Elena Guc and Kristina Head stopped the run and jump-started a small run by the 'Nooks to pull within two at 4-6. Seattle Pacific responded with a 4-0 run, extending their lead to six. They soon stretched their lead out to 7-13 before Alaska used a kill by Elizabeth Jackson and another by Kristina Head to make it 10-13. After the Falcons' lead grew to 12-18 the Nanooks put together back-to-back four-point runs, taking a 20-19 lead on an Ainsley Smith kill. SPU took the lead back and quickly made it 22-24. Alaska answered again, tying the set at 24-24 before SPU took the set 25-27 on a kill and attack-error on Rilee White. 

Set two saw the Nanooks jump ahead 4-0 behind a Kristina Head and Karli Nielson kill alongside a Rilee White service-ace. Their lead grew to 9-4 on a block by Elizabeth Jackson and Rilee White. The run continued, extending the lead to seven at 17-10 on another Nielson kill. Ella Bines joined the block party in the second set, teaming up with Jackson to make it 20-12. Alaska went on to take the second set by 10, winning it 25-15 and tying it at one set a piece. 

Alaska battled their way back to even the sets at one but fell in the final two sets. In the third, SPU shot ahead 0-8 before the 'Nooks got on the board. An Elena Guc kill sparked a three-point stretch for Alaska but SPU quickly pushed ahead more. After finding themselves down five, Alaska scored four-straight, pulling within one at 16-17. The Falcons ran away with the set-three win, 20-25. In the fourth, the two teams traded early points before SPU made it a 4-9 lead on four-straight points. After the Nanooks ended the run, SPU went on another four-point run, making it 5-13. The 'Nooks put together a run of five of six points, pulling back within four at 10-14. They clawed their way back to within two at 17-19 before grabbing five of six points and grabbing a 23-22 lead on a Rilee White kill. Unfortunately, the Falcons grabbed the final three points to win in the fourth set, 23-25, and 1-3 in the match.

Karli Nielson and Rilee White finished the night with a team-high 14 kills. White added eight digs, second to Jessa Long's game-high 14. The Nanooks posted 15 total blocks, 30 block assists, with Kristina Head leading the way with nine while Elena Guc and Elizabeth Jackson each added seven.

The Nanooks are back in action on Saturday, Sept. 17 at Montana State Billings at 11:00 a.m.

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