FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks volleyball team cemented themselves in the history books with their 3-0 win over Western Washington on Saturday, Nov. 23. The win wrapped up the 2024 regular season as the Nanooks moved to 21-7, 13-5 GNAC.

The 21 wins this season matches the total from the 1995 season. That team finished the year 21-13 under Tim Brown.

How it Happened
The Nanooks were tested by Western Washington in the opening sets. In set one, Alaska pulled away with a 29-27 win. Alaska ran out to a 4-1 lead on a pair of Karli Nielson kills, a Rachel Pierce kill and a WWU error. That lead grew to 7-3 as the 'Nooks spread the offense with kills from Elena Guc and Kristina Head. After taking an 11-7 lead, Western Washington posted five-straight points to take back the lead at 12-11. The two sides traded small runs before the 'Nooks held a 23-20 lead on kills from Josie Jansen and Nielson and a block from Head and Nielson. This led to a set point opportunity for Alaska. WWU went on to fight off three set points for Alaska and held one for themselves before three-straight points won set one for the 'Nooks. Guc tied the set at 27-27 before an error and block from Jansen and Pierce made it 1-0 Nanooks. 

In the second set, the two sides traded runs leading to a 9-7 lead for WWU. That lead dwindled quickly as Alaska won six of seven points to take back the lead. Similar to the first, the Nanooks and Vikings traded leads down the stretch and the Nanooks had a look at match point before the Vikings fought back to tie the set at 24-24. Rilee White posted back-to-back kills before Alaska used back-to-back WWU errors to grab a 28-26 win in set two. The third set saw Alaska run away around the midway point. An attack error at the 7-7 point followed by a Kristina Head ace and Josie Jansen kill swung the momentum to Alaska. They quickly turned that lead into a 13-9 lead before stretching it to 18-12 on a Nielson kill and a pair of WWU errors. Guc and Nielson teamed up for a pair of kills and Jansen and Rilee White teamed up for a block to make it 21-13. Four kills for Alaska sealed the deal with the sweep over Western Washington. 

Inside the Numbers

• Alaska outhit Western Washington .231 to .156 in the win. Both sides posted 44 kills in the match with the Nanooks posting nine less errors.
• The Nanooks had six service aces with Karli Nielson and Rilee White posting two each. 
• Rilee White added seven kills. With her fourth of the night, she cracked the 1000-career mark in kills. Earlier this season she cracked the 1000-dig mark and 200-ace mark. She became the first-ever GNAC player with 1k kills, 1k digs and 200+ aces in a career.
• Nielson led the offense with a dozen kills alongside the two aces. She also had nine digs, good for third on the team today.
• Tessa Onaga posted 11 digs to lead Alaska, Ainsley Smith followed with 10. Smith had a double-double alongside her 20 assists. 
• Kristina Head had a big day at the net posting eight blocks. Josie Jansen had six and Rilee White had five. The Nanooks as a team had 14 blocks.

What's to Come
The NCAA DII Regional Championships will be announced Monday, Nov. 25. Alaska will know their fate for the postseason at 3:30 p.m. AKST when the field of eight is announced.

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