FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks volleyball team fell to the Seattle Pacific Falcons on Thursday, Sept. 28 in the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium. The loss dropped the Nanooks to 7-11, 0-4 GNAC on the season. 

Alaska grabbed the first set away from SPU with an exciting 26-24 comeback win behind 16 kills and a .250 hit percentage. Sets two, three and four were all close but SPU pulled away in each of them to take a 25-22 set two win and back-to-back 25-18 set wins to win the match in four. In the first, the Nanooks swung .250 compared to Seattle Pacific's .102 hit percentage. They used a big run of seven of the final eight points to snag the first away from the Falcons. SPU held a 23-19 lead but Ella Bines posted consecutive kills to pull the 'Nooks within two points before Rilee White and Karli Nielson made it 23-23 on their own kills. SPU had a shot at set-point following a Nanooks' service ace but White got the point back with a kill and Ella Bines doubled-up to help win the set. First, she assisted Kristina Head on the block to regain the lead and then she put the set away with a booming kill, winning it 26-24 for Alaska. 

In the second set, the Falcons offense came alive, swinging .407 on 13 kills and only two errors. The Nanooks posted 10 kills and five errors for a .167 hit percentage. SPU returned the favor and had a comeback of their own in set two. Alaska held a 17-15 lead before the Falcons grabbed a one-point lead at 18-17 on three-straight points. Three-straight for the 'Nooks made 20-18 and then SPU strung together seven of the final nine points to grab a 25-22 win. Rilee White tied the set at 21-21, stopping the Falcons' first run but they put together another that eventually won the set to make it 1-1. In the third, Alaska's offense was halted to only five kills. They capitalized on eight errors by SPU, but their .069 hit percentage could not keep them in it after the midway point. The 'Nooks found themselves up 15-14 but a 12-4 run to end the set gave Seattle Pacific the 25-18 set win. Five-straight points after a 16-16 tie was the difference maker for SPU before putting the 'Nooks away. Unfortunately for Alaska, the fourth set was played from behind from the get-go. They managed to tie the set at 8-8, stringing together five-straight points after trailing 8-3, but SPU quickly grew their lead back out to 17-12 before collecting the final four points in a row to take the win 25-18 and win the match 3-1. 

Kinley Erickson had the big night for the Nanooks as the junior L/DS had 22 digs, five assists and two service aces. Karli Nielson joined her in double-digit digs with 11 while adding eight kills, four block assists and three aces. Lily Stewart and Rilee White joined Nielson with a team-high eight kills while Cynphany Henderson led Alaska with 20 assists. Ainsley Smith followed with 14. The Nanooks are back in action on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 2:00 p.m. when they take on the Montana State Billings Yellow Jackets at home. 

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