FAIRBANKS - In their penultimate regular season match, the Nanooks volleyball team (22-5, 13-4 GNAC) swept the Seattle Pacific Falcons (12-13, 7-10 GNAC). With the win, the Nanooks broke their single-season win total record (21), previously set in 1996 and 2024.
How it Happened
Alaska worked efficiently in their victory over SPU on Thursday night. The Nanooks posted three sets with over 16 kills in each while also never allowing more than 12 by the Falcons. In the opener, The Nanooks had 17 kills and just six errors, swinging .244 while keeping Seattle Pacific to a .105 swing percentage on 11 kills and seven errors. Alaska strung together an early lead and never looked back in the first, winning it 25-19. In the second set, the Nanooks surrendered a few more errors than the first, finishing with eight, but still had 16 kills while SPU had 12 kills and six errors. The Falcons erased a six-point Nanooks' lead and pulled even at 19-19 after trailing much of the second.
After the run, SPU eventually took the lead back, making it 22-20. They'd maintain a few more leads down the stretch, even having a look at set-point (24-23), but back-to-back kills from
Mikala Henderson swung the lead to the Nanooks and a block from
Elena Guc and
Presley Engelauf won set two for Alaska, making it 2-0 'Nooks.
The third was all Nanooks as the momentum swing gave Alaska the full edge. They took SPU down 25-15 behind an across-the-board effort both offensively and defensively. Offensively, the Nanooks finished with a 17-kill, two-error performance and .395 swing percentage while keeping SPU's attack at bay with nine kills, six errors, and a .077 swing percentage.
Inside the Numbers
- Haylee Lyons and Mikala Henderson led the Nanooks with 15 and 14 kills each. Lyons posted 15 kills (.324), 15 digs, and two aces for a team-high 17 points.
- Henderson finished the night with 14 kills (.423), two digs, and two blocks.
- Cynphany Henderson led the distribution with 21 assists while adding five digs, four kills, and two blocks.
- Ashlyn White had another strong night assisting Henderson in the distribution with 17 assists, three digs, and a kill.
- Tessa Onaga led the way with 21 digs. She added five assists and an ace in the win. Kellan Flynn finished the night with 12 digs, two assists, and one ace.
- Alaska outhit Seattle Pacific .262 to .106, posting 50 kills to the Falcons' 32.
- Tonight's win marked the 22nd win of the season, setting a new program record.
What's to Come
The Nanooks will host Montana State Billings on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. AKST in the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium. Saturday will also be Senior Day as the Nanooks will host a postgame ceremony celebrating five seniors:
Elena Guc,
Elizabeth Jackson,
Mikala Henderson, Larissa Scatamburlo, and
Ainsley Smith.
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