FAIRBANKS - The Nanooks volleyball team travels to Anchorage this week for three matches in the UAA Seawolf Invitational. The 'Nooks will play Aug. 27-29 against Chico State, Texas Woman's University, and Lenoir-Rhyne.
Thursday, August 27
vs. Chico State | 3 p.m. AKST
Anchorage | Alaska Airlines Center
Friday, August 28
vs. Texas Woman's University | 3 p.m. AKST
Anchorage | Alaska Airlines Center
Saturday, August 29
vs. RV Lenoir-Rhyne | 1 p.m. AKST
Anchorage | Alaska Airlines Center
Watch Live ($$)
Live Stats (FREE)
GNAC Network
This week and weekend's matches will be on the GNAC Network. Fans of the Nanooks can purchase a 2026-27 all-access plan for $120 and never miss any of the action in Fairbanks and around the rest of the GNAC during the regular season. Fans can also purchase a monthly subscription for $25/month or single game passes for $14. GNAC Championship broadcasts are NOT included in the all-access plans and are priced separately.
Last Time Out
The Nanooks are fresh off of a 3-1 road trip to Hawaii for the Hawaii/Alaska Challenge. They opened up the regular season with a sweep of Hawaii Pacific on Thursday, Aug. 20. The following day, they split their two matches, defeating Chaminade in the opener, 3-1, before falling to the host school, Hawaii Hilo, in four sets. The next day, the Nanooks and Hilo met again, but this time Alaska swept UHH to claim the title.
All-Tournament/MVP
Alaska had a pair of athletes named to the Hawaii/Alaska Challenge All-Tournament Team.
Haylee Lyons led the way, also claiming the Most Valuable Player honor. She finished with 52 kills, good for 3.71 per set and a .308 swing percentage. She added five aces and 4.14 point per set. On defense, Lyons finished with 38 digs, 2.71 digs per set, and two blocks.
Tessa Onaga joined Lyons on the All-Tournament Team. She finished with 87 digs, 49 more than the next Nanooks player. That total earned her 6.21 digs per set. In addition, she posted 79 serve receives, posting a .962 receiving percentage. Onaga finished with 12 assist and four aces as well, helping the Nanooks win the title.
GNAC Players of the Week
Both Lyons and Onaga won the first GNAC weekly honors of the season with their outstanding play. Lyons was named the Offensive Player of the Week and Onaga was named the Defensive Player of the Week. This was
Haylee Lyons' first-career GNAC weekly honor and it was
Tessa Onaga's third-career honor, and first this season. Head coach
Brian Scott had this to say about his student-athlete's effort, "Tessa [Onaga] had a phenomenal weekend! She is such a steady presence on the court, there is never a question if she will make the defensive play. In addition to her defensive, her serve really did a great job keeping teams out of system and scoring. The growth Haylee [Lyons] has made in one year is remarkable. She has made huge strides in her point scoring as an attacker and server. Her court vision and development of her hitting toolbox has put her at an elite level as an attacker. We are excited for her future!"
Preseason Player of the Year
Cynphany Henderson was named the 2026 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Volleyball Player of the Year on Tuesday. She led the 14-player preseason team as the rest of the conference opens up their seasons. Henderson, a 5-9 senior setter from Otsego, Minn. played a pivotal role in helping the 'Nooks secure a share of their first-ever GNAC title last season. Her standout campaign featured 14 double-doubles and two triple-doubles, including perhaps her most impressive statistical performance of the season in a pivotal Nov. 8 victory over fellow co-champion Simon Fraser. Henderson recorded 20 digs, 16 assists and 13 kills to complete the triple-double and help lead the Nanooks to the win. A consistent presence throughout the season, Henderson reached double figures in assists in all but four matches and contributed defensively with an average of 0.42 blocks per set. She finished the season averaging 5.58 assists and 3.12 digs per set while earning GNAC Offensive Player of the Week honors and CSC Academic All-District recognition.
Preseason All-Conference
Tessa Onaga is a fellow senior, and is a 5-3 libero. She was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team alongside Henderson. Onaga's emergence as one of the top defensive specialists in the NCAA Division II West Region earned her well-deserved AVCA Honorable Mention All-American recognition following the 2025 season. A cornerstone of the Nanooks' defensive unit, she ranked fourth in the GNAC with 4.46 digs per set while providing a consistent and reliable presence in the back row. Onaga reached double figures in digs in all but four matches during the season, surpassing the 20-dig mark 11 times and recording a season-high 29 digs on Sept. 12 against Cal State San Bernardino. Her versatility extended beyond her defensive responsibilities, as she posted a pair of double-doubles after reaching 11 assists in two separate matches. She also made an impact from the service line, ranking ninth in the GNAC with 0.35 service aces per set.
AVCA Preseason Poll
For the first time in program history, the Nanooks volleyball team was selected to the AVCA DII Volleyball Preseason Poll. They received 397 points and ranked T-16, matching up with Missouri Western, who also received 397 points. The Nanooks were the second-highest ranking GNAC team. Simon Fraser received 424 points and ranked one spot higher at No. 15. Western Washington was the final GNAC team in the top 25, coming in at No. 20 with 279 points. Central Washington (69) and Alaska Anchorage (45) also received votes. The next AVCA poll will be released Monday, Aug. 31.
GNAC Preseason Poll
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference released its volleyball preseason poll on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The Nanooks received 84 points alongside two first-place votes and were predicted to finish third. Simon Fraser led the voting with 90 points and two first-place votes to be named the preseason favorite. Central Washington came in second, despite receiving six first-place votes. Western Washington (73) and Alaska Anchorage (60) rounded out the top five as the final two teams with 50+ points. Seattle Pacific received 41 votes and was picked sixth, Northwest Nazarene and Saint Martin's received 39 and 38 votes, respectively for seventh and eighth, and Western Oregon (26) and Montana State Billings (11) rounded out the poll.
Meet the Opponents
Chico State Wildcats
2025 Record: 12-13, 8-10 CCAA
Head Coach: Ricci Luyties
Chico State will open up 2026 against the Nanooks after a 12-13, 8-10 CCAA season last year. Chico State did not qualify for the CCAA playoffs despite winning five of their final six matches to end last season. Ricci Luyties returns as the Wildcats' interim head coach after holding the program steady last season. Alaska has only defeated Chico State once in program history. The 'Nooks are 1-7 all-time with their one victory coming Aug. 29, 1998 at a neutral site. The last matchup with Chico State was Sept. 8, 2016, a 3-0 loss.
Texas Woman's University
2025 Record: 19-11, 11-6 LSC
Head Coach: Phil Evans
The Texas Woman's University Pioneers play their first matches this week. They went 19-11, 11-6 LSC last season and were 3-1 in neutral site matches. TWU finished as the six-seed in the Lone Star Conference Championship and opened up the tournament with an upset of the three-seed West Texas A&M before falling to the two-seed Lubbock Christian. Alaska and Texas Woman's University have met one time in program history. The Nanooks earned a 3-2 win over the Pioneers in 2007 in Hilo, Hi.
Lenoir-Rhyne Bears
2025 Record: 23-8, 14-4 SAC
Head Coach: Nicole Barringer
The LR Bears open their 2026 campaign in Anchorage this week. The Bears went 23-8, 14-4 SAC last season and made it to the SAC Tournament championship game before falling to top-seeded Wingate. The Bears qualified for the NCAA DII Tournament in the Southeast Regional. As the two-seed, they defeated No. 7 Lander before falling in the second round to No. 3 Anderson. This will be the first-ever matchup between Alaska and Lenoir-Rhyne.
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