FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team made a statement on Saturday afternoon, defeating the No.8 ranked Simon Fraser Red Leafs in a thrilling four sets. The two nationally ranked GNAC powerhouses went head-to-head in a showcase of conference leadership, but in the end, it was the team in blue and gold who walked away victorious. 

Running the Replay
From the very first play, the Nanooks made it clear that they were there to play, and to play full out. Elizabeth Jackson was the first 'Nook to bring the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium to their feet with a near ten-foot line bounce. From there, the energy only grew after a perfectly placed Tessa Onaga ace and a string of kills from Cynphany Henderson, forcing an early Simon Fraser timeout. The 'Nooks held on to their momentum after the break through a reverse-flow play quarterbacked by Ainsley Smith, connecting with Henderson on the right side. The 'Nooks sealed the first set 25-18. 

In the second, the 'Nooks continued to fire on all cylinders. Ainsley Smith led a balanced offense, feeding Mikala Henderson and Cynphany Henderson on both pins to keep the Leafs defense scrambling. Two straight aces from Smith pushed the 'Nooks lead to 14-11 and another Peri Hoshock block sent the crowd into a frenzy. By 20-17, the momentum gained was unstoppable, and the set came to a close at 25-17 with a textbook stuff block by Haylee Lyons and Elena Guc. 

Simon Fraser, ranked eighth in the AVCA poll, responded with urgency in the third. The team clawed back from early third set deficits, capitalizing where they could to take the set 25-21, despite the standout back-court plays made by Tessa Onaga and freshman Kellan Flynn. 

With just one set needed, the 'Nooks refused to let their momentum slip for a moment longer. A 7-2 run out of the gate forced another early Simon Fraser timeout, and from there the 'Nooks never looked back. The 'Nooks played relentless defense in the back-court, led by Cynphany Henderson's 20 digs and Tessa Onaga's 17. The fourth set sealed the win for the Nanooks, ending with a final score of 25-16. 

By the Numbers

• Cynphany Henderson earned herself her fifth Player of the Match accolade after earning the second-ever triple-double by a Nanooks player in the GNAC-era. (13 kills, 16 assists, 20 digs). The last Nanooks volleyball triple-double was Danielle Hitzeman on Sept. 18, 2004. She had 12 kills, 11 digs, and 26 assists in that game versus Northwest Nazarene University. 
• Ainsley Smith led the team in aces and assists with three and 22 respectively. 
• Cynphany Henderson led the 'Nooks in kills with 13 and a hitting percentage of .522, followed closely by Mikala Henderson's 12 kills and hitting percentage of .435. 

Next Whistle
The Nanooks are on the road next week, heading to face off against the Central Washington Wildcats on Thursday, November 13th at 6:00 p.m. AKST. The game will be televised via the GNAC Network. 

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