FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team beat the Western Washington Vikings for the first time since Oct. 11, 2008. The 3-0 win snapped a 28-game losing streak to WWU spanning from Nov. 13, 2008 to Sept. 23, 2023.
Alaska won every major team category and posted a solid offensive outing to close the door on the Vikings in straight-sets. The Nanooks boasted 10 aces to the Vikings' single ace and outblocked the Western seven to four. The biggest separator was in kills as the Nanooks ended the sweep with 39 total kills and kept the Vikings to 25. In the first set, Alaska hit .241 as a team with 12 kills while surrendering five errors. They forced WWU into six errors and five kills for a hitting percentage of -.031. Alaska had three players with three kills after the opening set as Kristina Head, Karli Nielson and Lily Stewart were leading the way as the 'Nooks took a 1-0 lead.
In the second, Western's offense erupted for an efficient set with 12 kills and a hit percentage of .409, but Alaska answered every run and eventually grabbed a 25-20 win to make it 2-0. The Nanooks were outhit percentage-wise, but they tallied three more kills than Western. Nielson led the way again in the second and was joined by Ella Bines with four kills in the second set. Alaska also posted a 71% sideout percentage, winning 15 of their 21 sideout points. The 'Nooks held a four-point lead at 18-14 before WWU pulled within a pair. After cutting into the run, Alaska stretched their lead out to six and put the set away on a Nielson kill. In the third and final set, the Nanooks ran away with it from the 7-7 point and on. WWU used a kill to tie the set up before Alaska strung together five-straight points making it 12-7. They eventually grew that lead to 17-10 and 20-11 behind their .391 hit percentage in the third set.
The 12 kills matched them with their first-set performance but they suffered only three errors and kept the WWU attack to eight kills alongside six errors. The 'Nooks were never blocked in the third and tallied four block assists in the third, putting the match away in straight-sets and snapping a historic streak against Western Washington. Following the final point, the Nanooks' student-section joined in the celebration on the court and the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium became the best party in the city.
Nielson filled up the stat-sheet tonight, putting up nine kills and a .250 hit percentage while adding seven digs, three aces and assists and tallying a block. Kristina Head played both sides well, ending the night with six kills and a .400 hit percentage. She added a game-high six blocks, three aces and a dig. Ainsley Smith led the distribution with 15 assists and seven digs. Ella Bines had the most efficient swinging night, hitting .636 with eight kills, two digs and a block.
Alaska welcomes Simon Fraser on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 2:00 p.m. for their annual Dig Pink game.
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