ANCHORAGE - The Nanooks volleyball team travels south to Anchorage on Friday night for a Halloween showdown with the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves.
Friday, Oct. 31
at RV Alaska Anchorage | 7:30 p.m.
Anchorage | Alaska Airlines Center
Watch Here ($$) |
Live Stats
Last Time Out
The Nanooks are riding a four-match winning streak and extended that last weekend on the road at Western Oregon and Saint Martin's. They faced WOU on Thursday, Oct. 23 and took down the Wolves in four sets.
Mikala Henderson led the Nanooks with 14 kills while
Haylee Lyons followed with a dozen. Henderson added 10 digs for a double-double.
Ainsley Smith posted 21 assists to lead the way while
Cynphany Henderson had a 19-assist, 16-dig double-double.
Peri Hoshock had a team-high six blocks in the victory.
On Saturday, Oct. 25, the Nanooks swept Saint Martin's. The first two sets were close with the Nanooks winning 25-19, 25-23, but in the third Alaska took over and won convincingly, 25-15. Henderson had another great showing, leading the way with a game-high 17 kills.
Elena Guc followed with nine of her own and Hoshock added six.
Cynphany Henderson had a game-high 22 assists while
Ainsley Smith followed with 16.
Tessa Onaga had 20 digs while
Haylee Lyons added 10.
#NookNotes
- Alaska remains one of the best defensive teams in the nation. They currently rank fourth in the GNAC and 31st in NCAA Division II with 2.30 blocks per set.
- They are first in the GNAC and 46th in the nation with 17.05 digs per set. They rank second in the GNAC and 60th in DII with 1364 total team digs.
- The Nanooks have held opponents to a .120 hit percentage this season. That is first in the conference and eighth in the nation.
- Alaska is also second in the conference in team kills (1031), team service aces (146), team total attacks (2950), and total team blocks (184.0).
- Individually, the Nanooks have a lot of talent spread throughout the conference and nation.
- Tessa Onaga leads the GNAC in total digs (375), digs per set (4.69), and service aces (33). She is also fourth in the GNAC in aces per set (0.41).
- Peri Hoshock is fourth in the GNAC with 90 total blocks. That total ranks 32nd in NCAA DII. Elena Guc is 10th in the GNAC with 67 blocks and Presley Engelauf is 15th in the conference with 59 blocks.
- Hoshock's 1.18 blocks per set also ranks fourth in the conference and 24th in NCAA DII.
Meet the Opponents
Alaska Anchorage Seawolves (17-4, 8-3 GNAC)
Head Coach: Stacie Meisner (3rd Season, 49-33)
Player to Watch: Tia Allen, OH, Sr., Clayton, Wash.
The Seawolves come into Friday's match on a three-match winning streak. After falling to Central Washington on Oct. 16 in four sets, they turned it around and picked up a four-set win over Northwest Nazarene, and a pair of five-set wins over Saint Martin's and Western Oregon. At SMU, the Seawolves had a 2-0 lead before the Saints won sets three and four to force a fifth. UAA came out and took the fifth 15-7 earning the victory. At Western Oregon, WOU held a 2-1 lead after three before Alaska Anchorage won the fourth 25-22 and the fifth 15-11.
Alaska earned the four-set win over Alaska Anchorage in the match earlier this season in Fairbanks. The Nanooks are currently on a three-match winning streak over UAA after sweeping the Seawolves last season.
AVCA National Poll
The Nanooks are one of three GNAC teams in the AVCA Top 25 this week
(Oct. 27). Simon Fraser is the highest-ranked GNAC team at No. 8 with 813 points. Western Washington is above the Nanooks at No. 17, receiving 404 points. Alaska moved up one spot to No. 20 in this week's ranking with 293 points. Alaska Anchorage (19) and Central Washington (11) also received votes this past week.
What's to Come
The Nanooks return to Fairbanks next week on Nov. 6-8 for a pair of GNAC matches. They welcome the Western Washington Vikings on Nov. 6 for their annual Elementary Field Day, sponsored by Alaska 529. That match begins at 11 a.m. AKST and will welcome nearly 1200 students from around the Borough to the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium for the match. Saturday, Nov. 8 will be a match with Simon Fraser, and will be a canned food drive at 2 p.m. AKST.
Follow the 'Nooks
IG - @NanooksVB
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FB - Alaska Nanooks Volleyball
