FAIRBANKS - Alaska moved to 9-1 on Saturday night behind a 3-1 win over Rockhurst. The win gave the Nanooks the title for the 2025 Denali State Bank Ice Block Classic.
How it Happened
Alaska dropped the opening set 25-17. They recovered and won the next three to grab the four-set victory. In the first, the Hawks hit .269 behind 13 kills while the Nanooks had just eight and seven errors. In the second, Rockhurst outhit the Nanooks but Alaska escaped with a 25-22 set win. Alaska led for a lot of set two, but Rockhurst at one point, led by a pair after running off six-straight points to take a 17-15 lead. The Nanooks regained the lead and eventually pulled off the three-point win.
The Nanooks dominated the third set, hitting .233 while Rockhurst posted a .100 swing percentage. Alaska posted a dozen kills to the Hawks' seven kills and 10 errors. In the end, Alaska took a 2-1 lead behind a 25-14 set win. The fourth came down to the wire, but Alaska ultimately pulled out the victory 25-22. RU opened up with a 6-0 lead before stretching it to 8-1. At first, it looked like a third-straight five-set match for the Nanooks. After trailing for over half of the set, Alaska kicked it into gear down 18-13. They rattled off five-straight to make it a one-point deficit. After tying the set at 20-20, the two sides traded points before the Nanooks grabbed a 23-22 lead on a
Kelli Wright kill. An attack error gave the Nanooks a match point and
Haylee Lyons put the match away with a kill.
With the win, the Nanooks completed the perfect weekend against stiff competition and grabbed the championship trophy.
Cynphany Henderson and
Tessa Onaga were named to the All-Tournament Team while
Kelli Wright took home the Denali State Bank Ice Block Classic MVP trophy after a huge three matches for the blue and gold.
Inside the Numbers
- Haylee Lyons and Kelli Wright led the offense for the Nanooks with 10 kills each. Lyons swung .250 while adding seven digs, two assists and two blocks. Wright had two blocks and a dig.
- Peri Hoshock went into the history books for the Nanooks, posting 11 total blocks tonight. That is tied for the 3rd-most in a single match. She added three kills and an ace tonight.
- Elena Guc had a nine-block, nine-kill game to bolster the 'Nooks attack and defense.
- Tessa Onaga had a game-high 13 digs while dishing five assists and picking up a pair of aces.
- Mikala Henderson had a dozen digs tonight with two aces, one assist and kill.
- Cynphany Henderson had 19 assists to lead Alaska. Ainsley Smith added 15.
What's to Come
The Nanooks open up GNAC play next week at Montana State Billings and Seattle Pacific. They return home the following week to match up with Western Oregon and Saint Martin's. Find all of the action on the GNAC Network.
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