FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team dropped their first match of the 2023 season on Thursday, Aug. 24. Hawaii Hilo swept Alaska 3-0 in the 1:00 p.m. match to kick-off the 2023 season and Alaska-Hawaii Challenge.
All three sets were close as Alaska was within at least five in all three sets but the Vulcans ran away with a 25-22, 25-20 and 25-23 sweep of the Nanooks. In set one, Hilo jumped out to a 5-1 lead before Alaska pulled within one, at 8-7, on a Hilo attack error. Moments later, the Nanooks posted four-straight points to take a 13-12 lead, their first since the 1-0 mark. Ella Bines and Karli Nielson both found a pair of kills in the stretch. After Hilo traded leads with them, the Nanooks' lead grew to 16-14 behind another Bines kill and a pair of Grace Steurer aces. The two sides would trade small runs until the 20-20 mark when the Vulcans grabbed a two-point lead at 22-20. Bines connected on another kill and a bad set from Hilo tied it at 22-22 before Hawaii Hilo ran off three-straight to take a 25-22 set one victory.
The second set was all Nanooks to begin. They jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead behind more kills from Bines and Nielson and a pair of attack errors on the Vulcans. Their lead grew to 7-1 and eventually 10-4, but Hilo tagged Alaska for 10-straight, erasing a 13-8 Alaska lead and making ti 18-13 Vulcans. Lily Stewart subbed in for the Nanooks and stopped the run with a kill, but two points was all the 'Nooks could get back after the Hilo stretch. The deficit grew to five for the Nanooks as Hilo made it 20-15. Unfortunately the Nanooks could not pull within less than three in the final few points as Hilo ran away with the second set 25-20. The third saw the Nanooks jump out to another quick and early lead. They found themselves up 4-0 in the blink of an eye behind Ainsley Smith's serving. Kristina Head got into the mix with a kill on the fourth point. Hilo answered, quickly putting up three-straight to make it 4-3 Nanooks. The two sides traded small runs as Alaska held a 10-7 lead before Hilo made another big push in the middle of the set.
A seven-point streak for the Vulcans gave them the lead at 14-10; this did not diminish the 'Nooks hopes, however, as Alaska answered with their own six-point run, retaking the lead at 17-15 behind two Smith aces, two kills from Bines and a kill each for Head and Stewart. After going back-and-forth, the Vulcans made the final push at the 21-21 mark, grabbing four of the final six points and completing the sweep 25-23.
Ella Bines led the way for the Nanooks in game one of the season with nine kills, a .200 hit percentage and added two blocks and digs. Grace Steurer posted 16 digs in her Nanook-debut and Ainsley Smith found herself everywhere with 23 assists, eight digs, three aces, two blocks and two kills. The 'Nooks are back in action tonight at 7:00 p.m. against the Chaminade Silverswords.
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team, follow @NanooksVB on Instagram or X, or like the Alaska Nanooks VB team page on Facebook.
