FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team welcomed rivals Alaska Anchorage to Fairbanks for a Thursday evening match inside the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium. After dropping the first set 25-23, the Nanooks took the final three sets 25-21, 25-22 and 25-19, earning their first win against the Seawolves since November 2021. With the win, Alaska advances to 13-6, 5-4 GNAC on the season, while UAA falls to 10-9, 4-5 GNAC.
How it Happened
Alaska began the first set trailing for most of the opening portion. The Seawolves opened a 15-11 lead after a kill from Bella Burney ended a 2-0 Alaska run, which saw Karli Nielson chip in with a kill and service ace. However, the Nanooks mounted a comeback, taking the following five points to put themselves in the lead. Alaska received kills from Elizabeth Jackson, Rilee White and Josie Jansen, along with back-to-back aces by Tessa Onaga during the run. Following a Seawolves timeout, both teams kept the score tight, as neither team built a lead of more than two points for the remainder of the set. However, a kill from UAA's Katie Birtcil saw the Seawolves take the opening set by two points. Alaska posted its lowest hitting percentage of the contest during the first, swinging at a .171 mark as a team. Jackson, White and Jansen each posted a team-high three kills during the opening set.
Neither team established more than a one-point lead to begin the second set, with both teams tied at seven before two straight Alaska points courtesy of a UAA service error and another Nielson kill gave the home side a 9-7 lead. Following a Nanooks service error, which ended the run, Alaska took the following two points with kills from Nielson and Elena Guc, taking an 11-8 lead. The Nanooks held a 14-11 advantage before five consecutive points brought their lead to eight and forced an Alaska Anchorage timeout. White led the charge for the Nanooks during the run with two kills and an ace. UAA fought back to tie the set at 21, notching a 5-0 run to help bring them back into the contest. However, the Nooks shut the door, scoring the final four points of the second to tie the match at one. Jackson and Guc both notched a kill and block assist to close the set. Alaska got back on track in the hitting department during the second set, posting an attacking percentage of .343 as a team compared to .097 for the Seawolves. Nielson and Pierce led the team with five kills apiece during the second.
The Nanooks fell behind 5-3 to start the third but responded with a five-point unanswered run to take a three-point lead. The visitors leveled the score at 10, logging a 5-2 run with four kills and a service ace, but Alaska countered with consecutive kills from Rachel Pierce and Nielson to establish a two-point lead. Both sides traded the following seven points before the Blue and Gold scored five of six, receiving kills from White, Jansen and two from Nielson to bring the Nook's lead to 20-16. Alaska never led by fewer than two points for the remainder of the set, closing it out with a Cynphany Henderson kill to give the Nanooks a 2-1 lead in the match. Alaska hit .262 as a squad compared to .256 for UAA, with Nielson leading the way with four kills during the set.
Despite jumping out to a 7-4 lead to start the fourth set and forcing a Seawolves timeout, UAA fought back to lead 12-9. The Seawolves held a three-point advantage at 15-12 before a 3-0 run for the Nanooks, aided by a Guc kill, Jackson ace and White and Jansen combination block, tied the set at 15. Alaska Anchorage maintained its lead by taking three of the following four points, but the Nanooks countered by posting their longest unanswered run of the night, scoring eight consecutive points to put them one away from victory. After a service error ended the run, Jansen closed things out with her seventh kill of the evening, giving Alaska the 25-19 set win to take down the Seawolves in four. The Nanooks posted their best hitting percentage of the night during the final set, hitting .367 while tallying four service aces. Nielsen tallied a team-leading five kills during the fourth.
By the Numbers
- Nielson paced the Nanooks with 16 kills, hitting .275 while picking up five digs, three aces and four total blocks.
- Guc and White joined Nielson in double-digit kills with 12. They posted hitting percentages of .346 and .391, respectively, while White led the team with four service aces.
- Jansen posted a .545 hit percentage during the contest, slamming seven kills and finishing with three total blocks.
- Ainsley Smith led the team in the assists department, collecting 24 assists. Henderson followed with 22, while the two setters both tallied 13 digs.
- Onaga led Alaska with 20 digs in the match, while her 13 assists from tonight were a season-high for the libero.
- The Nanooks hit .282 as a team, compared to a .239 mark for the Seawolves.
- Alaska doubled up UAA in the service department, recording 10 aces while allowing five.
What's Next
The Nanooks are off for a week, returning to action on Thursday, October 24, with a trip to Lacey, Wash., for a match against Saint Martin's. First serve is set for 6 p.m. AKT.
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