FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team moved to 3-7, 0-1 on the season with a four-set victory over the Biola Eagles. The Nanooks will complete the Denali State Bank Ice Block Classic with two games on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. against Lander and 7:30 p.m. against Stanislaus State. 

A night after falling in straight sets to UAA, the Nanooks bounced back and head coach Brian Scott was happy to see the 'Nooks break through in a big way, "That was a totally opposite feeling from last night. We did everything we were supposed to do. We passed well, ran a game plan, hit extremely well, blocked extremely well; that's the team we hope to see all the time because that's where our potential is."

Alaska opened the match with a 25-17 set-one win before falling in the second 25-18. They turned the loss into two final-set wins to grab the 3-1 win. They won set three 25-17 and closed out the Eagles 25-17 with a huge fourth set. In the first, the Nanooks hit .333 and held the Eagles to just .091. After falling 4-0 early in the first, several attack errors by Biola plus a Rilee White service ace. After the early deficit, Elena Guc tied it 6-6 with a kill, another Biola attack error plus a Josie Jansen service ace gave the 'Nooks an early set two-point lead, 8-6. Either side would trade points, keeping the Nanook lead at two until a Biola service error and a White kill extended the Alaska lead to four. The first set lead would not shrink below three for the rest of the set. A 4-0 Alaska run, including three straight Karli Nielson kills, stretched the lead to seven, 20-13. Biola stopped the run before Nielson responded with two more kills, 23-14. The Eagles would respond late, cutting into the deficit. However, the Alaska lead would prove too much, as an Ella Bines kill would secure the first-set win, 25-17.  

Biola would respond in the second set, hopping out to an early 6-1 lead. Kills from Elena Guc and Josie Jansen, plus an attack error, cut the Eagles lead to just two, 6-4. Biola would rattle off four of the following five points, stretching its lead to five, 10-5. Two Nielson kills, and another Eagles attack error got the Nanooks within two, 10-8. The Eagles would temporarily extend their lead to three before a Bines kill, and Biola's attack error cut the lead to just one, 11-10. Again, the Eagles would respond, extending the lead to three, 13-10. The 'Nooks would have an answer, however, as a 3-0 run fueled by White kills tied the set 13-13. An immediate Eagle 4-0 run would stretch the lead, proving too much for the Nanooks to come back from, falling 25-18. 

Set three began all Nanooks as kills from Lily Stewart, Guc and Jansen gave the 'Nooks an early 3-1 lead. A 4-0 Eagle run flipped the script, giving Biola a 5-3 advantage. Alaska's 6-2 response gave the 'Nooks a 9-6 lead. Each team traded points throughout the third set until kills by White and Nielson, combined with an attack error by Biola, stretched the Alaska lead to six, 17-11. Each team traded scores for the following six points. Nielson had two kills over that stretch and Guc added one as well. Alaska took over, scoring four of the next five, stretching the lead to 24-15. Stewart added two kills over the stretch, and Grace Steurer added a service ace. Biola would look to comeback, scoring two straight before an attack error clipped the Eagles' wings, giving Alaska the third set, 25-17. 

Stewart and Steurer would continue their hot hand, opening the scoring for the fourth set for Alaska, 2-0. After an Alaska attack error, Stewart would respond again with another kill, 3-1. Alaska would rattle off two of the next three behind a Guc kill and a White service ace, 5-2. Biola would respond by scoring three of the next four, cutting the Alaska lead to just one, 6-5. The 'Nooks would not relinquish the lead, scoring three of the next four, including a Nielson kill, stretching the lead to four, 10-6. The teams would trade scores over the next six points, including a kill from White and two Biola attack errors, keeping the Alaska lead at four, 13-9. Alaska would put a stop to the back and forth, immediately responding with a 5-1 run behind kills from Nielson and Jansen, 18-10. The eight-point lead would prove to be insurmountable as the two teams traded scores for the rest of the set, allowing Alaska to walk away with a 25-17 set four win, and the match win. Two kills from Kristina Head and White down the stretch helped Alaska to keep its lead. Fittingly, the final score of the evening would come from a Nielson kill, her 16th on the night. 

Nielson led the 'Nooks with 16 kills, a .225 hit percentage, four digs and two blocks, while Rilee White followed behind with nine kills, 11 digs, four aces and three assists. Grace Steurer posted a game-high 15 digs. Ainsley Smith and Cynphany Henderson shared the passing load with 20 assists each. Both Smith and Henderson added seven digs, too. Four 'Nooks added five blocks each: Elena Guc, Lily Stewart, Josie Jansen and Kristina Head. Stewart added six kills and an Alaska-leading .667 hitting percentage. 

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