ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Western Oregon played tough, but was unable to take a game from ninth-ranked Alaska Anchorage on Thursday night at the Alaska Airlines Center. The Wolves fell in the GNAC match by a 3-0 score (14-25, 21-25, 19-25).
 
The loss puts Western Oregon at 5-9 on the year and 2-5 in GNAC play, while Alaska Anchorage – who won their 16^th consecutive match – improves to 17-1 overall and 7-0 in league play. In was UAA's seventh straight win in the all-time series against the Wolves.
 
While WOU led in digs (44-41) and played even at the net (5 blocks each), the Seawolves owned advantages in kills (44-29), hitting percentage (.248-.146) and aces (10-2).

Sophomore Mariella Vandenkooy had a team-high nine kills (.350 hitting) and junior Sydney Blankinship posted a .556 hitting percentage to pace the Wolves offense. Junior outside hitter Alisha Bettinson had six kills. Senior libero led all players with 19 digs, the only person with double figures. Leila Holt, making her first start of the year, dished out 26 assists.

WOU jumped out to a 3-0 advantage to start the match before Alaska Anchorage followed with a 10-1 run to take a 10-4 lead. At 10-4, Western Oregon used a pair of Vandenkooy kills and a UAA error to pull within three, but that is as close as the Wolves would get. The Seawolves scored multiple points in three of the next rotations to build the lead up to 19-10. Consecutive kills gave UAA the set and a 1-0 lead in the match. Both teams hit well, with the Seawolves holding a .414 to .320 advantage.
 
Blankinship and Amanda Short delivered kills to place WOU in front 7-6 in set two. UAA scored seven straight points and led 13-7 before Orth ended the string with a kill. The Seawolves continued to push ahead and opened a 19-10 advantage. A Blankinship kill, a Colasurdo ace and five UAA errors brought WOU within two at 20-18, but the Seawolves regained momentum scoring three straight points and eventually won the set, 25-21.
 
With the third set tied at 6-6, Alaska Anchorage opened up a 17-10 lead with a scoring spurt of five out of six points and responding to a three-point WOU retort with a 6-0 scoring run. A Bettinson kill would pull WOU within five at 23-18 and an error waved off one match point. But UAA closed out match on a WOU attack error for the victory.
 
Erin Braun had a monster night for UAA with a match-high 12 kills and a .706 hitting percentage. Morgan Hooe handed out 34 assists for the Seawolves.
 
Western Oregon heads to Fairbanks to play Alaska on Saturday night (Oct. 8) at 7 p.m. Alaskan, 8 p.m. Pacific time.