FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks volleyball team hits the road for a pair of GNAC matches on Thursday and Saturday. Thursday night they take on the Western Washington Vikings and on Saturday they will head to the Simon Fraser Red Leafs.
Thursday, Oct. 22
at Western Washington | 6 p.m.
Bellingham, Wash. | Carver Gymnasium
Saturday, Oct. 24
at Simon Fraser | 1 p.m.
Burnaby, B.C. | West Gymnasium
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Last Time Out
The Nanooks fell in a pair of five-set matches last week at home. On Thursday, they took No. 21 Central Washington to the brink of an upset before falling in the fifth. Alaska rallied back from a 2-1 deficit to force the fifth before falling 16-14.
Cori Leavitt led the way with 15 kills while Kellie Wright and
Emma Freeman followed with 14 and 13.
Haylee Lyons had six aces and 17 digs with 10 kills for a double-double. On Saturday, the Nanooks fell to Northwest Nazarene. The Nighthawks reverse swept the Nanooks after Alaska won the first two sets and held a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately, NNU avoided the sweep with a 33-31 set three win before forcing a fifth set with a 25-23 set four win. They'd use that momentum to get up big in the fifth before putting the Nanooks away.
#NookNotes
- Alaska ranks first in the GNAC in five team categories. They lead with 911 team assists, they are first in team digs with 1309. They also lead in total attacks and kills, with 2882 attacks and 983 kills. Finally, they lead the conference in service aces with 146.
- Their 16.57 digs per set is good for third in the GNAC and 60th in NCAA DII.
- Kellan Flynn and Haylee Lyons are both ninth in the GNAC with 0.37 service aces per set. They both lead the team with 29 aces this season, good for third in the conference.
- Cori Leavitt has been dominant as a freshman. She leads the Nanooks with 215 kills, good for sixth in the GNAC. Haylee Lyons has also impressed and trails Leavitt by just six kills with 209. She is seventh in the conference in total kills.
- Cynphany Henderson leads the distribution for the Nanooks with 504 assists. That ranks fourth in the GNAC and 116th in NCAA DII.
- Henderson is fifth in the conference with 6.72 assists per set.
- Tessa Onaga leads the GNAC with 356 total digs. That ranks her 70th in the nation. Her 4.56 digs per set is second in the GNAC and 72nd in the nation. Kellan Flynn follows with 241 digs this season, good for seventh in the conference. Her 3.05 digs per set is 13th in the GNAC.
- Peri Hoshock, Presley Engelauf and Cori Leavitt are all in the top-15 in the GNAC in blocks. Leavitt is 15th with 57 total blocks. Engelauf is 13th with 62 total blocks, and Hoshock is fifth with 72 total blocks.
- Hoshock ranks sixth in the GNAC with. 1.03 blocks per set, good for 57th in NCAA DII. Engelauf is 14th in the conference with 0.90 per set.
Chasing History
Tessa Onaga is in year three with the Nanooks after transferring in from Northeastern University. In those three years, she already ranks second all-time in career digs. Currently, Onaga has 1310 total digs for the 'Nooks, trailing Tiffani Pulver's (1994-97) record of 1484. Onaga and the Nanooks have seven matches remaining in the 2026 regular season.
- Tiffani Pulver, 1484, 1994-99
- Tessa Onaga, 1310, 2024-Present
- Allison Oddy, 1282, 2009-12
What's Next
The Nanooks will face Western Washington and Simon Fraser this week before staying on the road again next week. Alaska will head to Anchorage for their final matchup with the Seawolves. The 'Nooks fell to UAA earlier in the season and look to even out the season record. Following UAA, the Nanooks will return for their two final home matches on Nov. 5 and 7. Nov. 5 is against Western Oregon and is Military Appreciation Night. Nov. 7 is against Saint Martin's and is Senior Day. They will then hit the road one more time to close out 2026 at Seattle Pacific and Montana State Billings.
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