FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks volleyball team improved to 9-2, 1-0 GNAC with a 3-0 win over Montana State Billings on Thursday, Sept. 10. The win came in front of over 1000 students from the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District thanks to the game day sponsor, Alaska 529.
Alaska won the first 25-17, the second 25-22, and the third 25-21 to improve to 3-1 on their home floor this season. In the first, both sides swung at an impressive rate. MSUB had 10 kills to just one error, posting a swing percentage of .310. Alaska outhit them with 17 kills and a .412 swing percentage with three errors. The 'Nooks opened up with a 5-1 lead off of a pair of
Cori Leavitt kills, an ace from
Tessa Onaga and a kill each from
Presley Engelauf and
Peri Hoshock. Their lead grew to 17-10 before a small MSUB run pulled them to within five, but the Nanooks closed out the first with three-straight points on two
Kelli Wright kills and another Onaga ace.Â
In the second, both sides posted 12 kills. MSUB surrendered eight errors while the Nanooks had six. MSUB found an early lead but seven of the next eight points went the Nanooks way and gave them a 12-7 advantage. They grew that lead to 15-8 before the Yellow Jackets crawled to back within one at 17-16. Alaska responded with three-straight of their own before an
Emma Freeman kill gave the Nanooks a 25-22 set win. In the third Alaska was up five early. The two sides then matched up at 10-10 before MSUB grabbed the lead at 11-12. After trailing for a few points, the Nanooks ran ahead 17-14. The two sides traded points before a 21-19 Nanooks' advantage. Alaska wrapped up the set and match using four kills; two from Leavitt, one from
Haylee Lyons, and one from
Peri Hoshock.Â
Inside the Numbers
- The Nanooks owned the team comparison. They outscored the Yellow Jackets in points 58-33, in kills 43-29, aces 8-1, blocks 7-3, assists, 40-28, and digs 51-49.Â
- Cori Leavitt and Haylee Lyons led the Nanooks' attack as both finished with eight kills. Lyons added six digs, two aces, and two blocks in the win. Leavitt added one block.Â
- Tessa Onaga had a team high 12 digs to go along six assists and three aces. Kellan Flynn joined with 10 digs and two assists.Â
- Cynphany Henderson led the distribution for the Nanooks, finishing with 17 assists. She added eight digs and a kill.Â
- Presley Engelauf and Peri Hoshock each had three block assists in the win. Engelauf added a fourth block with one solo block.Â
- The Nanooks have now won nine straight matches over MSUB.
What's Next
The Nanooks host Seattle Pacific on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. It's Alumni & Western Day so wear your hats and boots and come out to the Patty Center early as they host a pregame cowboy hat creation station starting at 1 p.m. Alumni can get limited free tickets and a 50% off promo code when they email UAF-Alumni@alaska.edu!
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