Match #14
Western Oregon (5-8, 2-4 GNAC) at #9 Alaska Anchorage (16-1, 6-0 GNAC)
Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016, at 7 p.m. AT
Anchorage, Alaska – Alaska Airline Center
Live Stats/Video

Match #15
Western Oregon (5-8, 2-4 GNAC) at Alaska (2-11, 1-5 GNAC)
Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, at 7 p.m. AT
Fairbanks, Alaska – Alaska Airline Court
Live Stats/Video

WOU HEADS TO LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN
Western Oregon heads to the 49^th stats for a pair of conference matches at Alaska Anchorage and Alaska. Both matches start at 7 p.m. Alaska Time and will have video coverage on WOUWolves.com/Live.

WOLVES' WATCH
Junior outside hitter Alisha Bettinson is leading Western Oregon in kills through 13 matches with 189, averaging 3.71 kills per set. Sophomore Amanda Short is second with 115 kills while Paige Orth has 100 kills. Orth is the WOU leading blocker at 0.80 blocks per game. Sophomore setter Maddie Mehciz leads the team with 10.14 assists per set while senior libero Christie Colasurdo paces the team with 4.96 digs per game followed by Bettinson at 3.0 digs. Redshirt freshman Libbie Hoene has the touch from the line, leading WOU in serving aces with 24.

SCOUTING THE ALASKA ANCHORAGE SEAWOLVES
Alaska Anchorage is the hottest team in the West, extending their winning streak to 15 matches after sweeping past Alaska and Montana State Billings on the road last week. The Seawolves have not dropped a set since a top-20 battle against Western Washington on Sept. 22. UAA is averaging 13.1 kills, 1.9 aces, 17.4 digs and 2.5 blocks per set, hitting .229 as a team. Four players are averaging two kills or more per set, led by sophomore Leah Swiss at 3.66 kps. Also above 2.0 kps are sophomore Chrisalyn Johnson (2.67), freshman Diana Fa'amausili (2.34) and senior Erin Braun (2.08). Senior setter Morgan Hooe leads the Alaska Anchorage offense with 9.69 assists per set. Sophomore libero Kyla Milatante-Amper is tops on the squad with 5.9 digs per set, while Hooe is second (3.0).
 
THE MATCHUP: WOLVES VS. SEAWOLVES
Alaska Anchorage leads the all-time series with WOU, 16-15, with the Seawolves taking the last six meetings. Last year, the Seawolves needed four sets to win in Monmouth and swept past the Wolves in the regular season finale in Anchorage. The last WOU win in the series was on Oct. 20, 2012 in a three-game sweep in Anchorage.

SCOUTING THE ALASKA NANOOKS
The Nanooks, which play Concordia on Thursday, enters the week with a 2-11 overall record and 1-5 mark in the GNAC. UAF lost to in-state rival Alaska Anchorage at home and to Montana State Billings on the road last week. The Nanooks are averaging 11.1 kills, 1.7 aces, 11.4 digs and 1.6 blocks per set, hitting .163 as a team. UAF has four players averaging at least 2.0 kills per game, led by sophomore Amberly Jeans at 2.42 per set. Junior transfer Rachel Nichols is facilitating the UAF offense with 9.18 assists per set. Two players anchor a solid block – junior Riley Podowicz (0.78 bps) and freshman Kim Wong (0.74). Senior libero Meagan Olson is the dig leader at 3.64 digs per set.
 
 
THE MATCHUP: WOLVES VS. NANOOKS
Western Oregon leads the series dating back to 1986 by an 18-13 advantage. Last season, the Wolves swept Alaska in an early GNAC contest while the Nanooks returned the favor in Fairbanks during the final week of the season. 

WHAT'S ON THE HORIZON
Western Oregon continues a two-week road trip with a Tuesday evening matchup at Concordia (Oct. 11) before heading to Montana State Billings (Oct. 15).