Ainsley Smith with the set vs. Saint Martin's 2024
Nathan Pearsall
3
Winner Saint Martin's SM 4-8,2-2 Great Northwest
1
Alas. Fairbanks UAF 10-4,2-2 Great Northwest
Winner
Saint Martin's SM
4-8,2-2 Great Northwest
3
Final
1
Alas. Fairbanks UAF
10-4,2-2 Great Northwest
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Saint Martin's SM 21 25 25 25 (3)
Alas. Fairbanks UAF 25 18 21 21 (1)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Alex Dean - Assistant Sports Information Director

Alaska Falls to Saint Martin’s in Four Sets

FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team dropped its matchup against Saint Martin's in four sets on Saturday afternoon. After taking the opening set 25-21, the Nanooks fell in the following three sets by finals of 25-18, 25-21, and 25-21.

Karli Nielson passed 1,000 kills during the match, finishing the contest with a team-leading 14 kills. 

How it Happened
Alaska jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the first set, with Nielson and Elizabeth Jackson recording two kills. The Saints scored five of the next seven following an SMU timeout, bringing Alaska's advantage to two at 9-7. However, the Nanooks responded with a 6-1 run, with Josie Jansen collecting two straight kills to end the run. Despite the Saints fighting back into the set and narrowing Alaska's lead down to one at 21-20, the Nanooks responded with a 5-1 run to close out the set. Nielson led the team with six kills during the set, and the team hit .386.

The Nanooks led 6-3 early in the second set, but the Saints notched five of the following six points to take a one-point lead. From there, Saint Martin's controlled the set, building an 18-13 lead and taking the second set by seven points. Elena Guc tallied two kills during the set to lead the team. Alaska posted its worst hitting percentage of the afternoon, swinging -.116 as a team. The Saints controlled the beginning of the third, building a 14-7 lead over the Nanooks. Alaska did not trail by fewer than three points until late when the Nanooks notched two straight points to bring the score to 23-21. However, the Saints closed out the set with a 2-0 run, taking a 2-1 match lead. Neither team cracked a .100 hit percentage, with the Nanooks recording a mark of .070 and the Saints posting a .098.

The final set began with the Nanooks taking an early 8-5 lead. They kept their three-point lead later into the set, holding a 12-9 advantage before a 4-1 run by the Saints tied the set at 13. SMU built its own three-point lead at 19-16, but a 3-0 run by the Nanooks knotted the set at 19. Saint Martin's ended the set by scoring six of the final eight points, ending the match by scoring three unanswered points and taking the final set 25-21 and the match in four. Nielson and Kristina Head each collected four kills during the fourth, and the Nanooks recorded a .237 team hitting percentage.

By the Numbers

  • Nielson led all players for both teams in kills with 14. She also notched 19 digs, giving her the double-double.
  • Jackson recorded eight block assists, while Nielson and Jansen collected five apiece.
  • Head posted the highest hitting percentage among all Nanooks, swinging .357 while tallying six kills.
  • Tessa Onaga had her third match in which she reached 20+ digs, recording 22.
  • Ainsley Smith picked up 32 of Alaska's 44 assists.
  • The Nooks hit .143 with 47 team kills. They out-blocked their opponent 11-8 during the contest.


What's Next
The Nanooks head out for two matches against Seattle Pacific and Montana State Billings next weekend, with their first match coming against the Falcons on Thursday, October 3, at 6 p.m. AKST.

Follow the 'Nooks
IG - @NanooksVB
X - @NanooksVB
FB - Alaska Nanooks Volleyball

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