FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks volleyball team hits the road for their first road GNAC games of the 2023 season. They head to Burnaby, B.C. (Canada) and Bellingham, Wash. for matchups with the Simon Fraser Red Leafs and Western Washington Vikings. 

Thursday, Sept. 21
Simon Fraser Red Leafs - 6:00 p.m.
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Saturday, Sept. 23
Western Washington Vikings - 6:00 p.m.
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Last Time Out
The Nanooks went 3-0 in North Carolina at the Shaw Invitational. There they knocked off St. Augustine's (3-0), Mount Olive (3-1) and Shaw (3-1). Karli Nielson and Rilee White had some huge weekend's for the 'Nooks, earning GNAC Volleyball Player of the Week nominations as Nielson posted 43 kills on the weekend and a hit percentage of .388 while adding 28 digs, four aces and two blocks. In the second game of the weekend, Nielson put up 19 kills after her 15 kills in the opener. White was big for the 'Nooks on both ends of the court as well. Offensively, she had 10 kills in each of the first two games. She had 2.45 kills per set on the weekend and also picked up 42 total digs for 3.8/set. She had 17 against Mount Olive and posted 16 against Shaw in the Nanooks victories. 

Quick Hitters

• Elena Guc moved up to fourth in the GNAC in hitting percentage at .336 following the Nanooks 3-0 record in North Carolina. 
• Grace Steurer currently ranks fourth in digs per set with an average of 3.66 per set.
• The Nanooks are third in the nation with 630 team assists. The only other GNAC team in the top-30 is UAA, and they are number one in the nation with 654 team assists. Alaska is also in the top-30 for digs (14th - 794), kills (3rd - 679), aces (18th - 93), attacks (3rd - 1934) and blocks (5th - 109.0).
• Individually, Rilee White is 21st in the nation with 24 aces so far this season. Karli Nielson is 18th in attacks with 453 and 24th in kills with 162. Finally, Grace Steurer is 38th in the nation with 194 digs. 

All-Tournament Selections

Hawaii/Alaska Challenge
Aug. 24-26 at Fairbanks, Alaska (Alaska, Host)
Alaska: Grace Steurer, OH; Karli Nielson, OH

2023 Seawolf Invitational
Aug. 31-Sept. 2 at Anchorage, Alaska (Alaska Anchorage, Host)
Alaska: Ella Bines, RS

Denali State Bank Ice Block Classic
Sept. 7-9 at Fairbanks, Alaska (Alaska, Host)
Alaska: Karli Nielson, OH; Lily Stewart, PIN

Receiving Votes
The 'Nooks will face a pair of teams this week that are receiving votes in the AVCA/TARAFLEX Coaches Poll. Western Washington received 22 votes in the Monday, Sept. 18 poll and Simon Fraser received 11. Five GNAC teams found themselves in the top-25 or receiving votes this week as Central Washington checked in at #15 in the country while Alaska Anchorage and Seattle Pacific joined SFU and WWU in the receiving votes category. 

This Week's Opponents

RV Simon Fraser Red Leafs (6-4, 1-1 GNAC)
Head Coach: Gina Schmidt (11th year)
Player to Watch: Sophie Lachapelle, Opp., Jr. (117 kills, 3.34/set, .295 swing percentage, five aces, four assists, 24.0 blocks, one solo, 23 assist, 52 digs, 1.49/set)
2023 Statistics

RV Western Washington Vikings (1-9, 1-1 GNAC)
Head Coach: Diane Flick-Williams (24th year)
Player to Watch: Devyn Oestreich, Pin Hitter, So. (83 kills, 2.31/set, .167 swing percentage, 16 aces, nine assists, 16.0 blocks, all block assists, 90 digs, 2.50/set)
2023 Statistics 

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