MONMOUTH, Ore. – Alaska Anchorage started early and held off a couple of rallies by the Western Oregon University volleyball team to claim the 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-22) Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory Saturday afternoon inside NPE.
Bailee Hartsook and Isabel Hurliman led the offense with the two combining for 20 kills, each tallying 10. Emily West setup the offense with 23 assists and added three service aces. On defense, Makenzie York sent back four blocks and Hurliman added three. Sophie Matlock led the back row with 11 digs, while Hurliman added eight and Hartsook with five.
Alaska Anchorage (9-5, 2-0 GNAC) forced the issue early in the first set and quickly moved out to a 7-1 lead. A kill by Emily Olson and an attack error by the Seawolves had WOU (2-7, 0-2 GNAC) back to within three at 9-6. After getting to within four a couple of times at 12-8 and 13-9, UAA went on a 6-0 run to put the set out of reach. The Wolves picked up points down the stretch from Hartsook and Olson, but the deficit was too much to overcome with UAA taking the first set, 25-14.
The Seawolves roared out to a 12-5 lead in the second set before WOU began to chip away. A kill by Hartsook helped ignite a 5-0 run. West spun in a pair of service aces and then Hartsook closed the rally with two straight kills that left WOU within two at 12-10. Trailing 15-13, the Wolves came back to grab the lead with Hurliman tallying a kill and then back-to-back double blocks from Hurliman and York left WOU with a 16-15 lead. UAA regrouped going on a 7-2 run to open up a 22-18 advantage. WOU made one last push to make things interesting in the set recording three straight points to get to within a point. Olson tallied a kill, West spun in another service ace and an attacking error had UAA clinging to a 22-21 lead. The Seawolves finished the set on a 3-0 run taking advantage of a pair of WOU attacking errors and then a service ace closed the set at 25-21 for the 2-0 match lead.
WOU moved out to the early 6-5 lead in the third set with Madison Hornback picking up a pair of kills around a service ace from Matlock. Kills from Hartsook and Hurliman kept the WOU lead at one, 10-9. UAA then went on a 5-0 run to push out to a 14-10 lead. Still behind by four, WOU made another push to get within one with Hartsook, West and Hurliman all recording kills to close the deficit to 19-18. Similar to the second set, the Seawolves responded with a 4-0 run to move ahead 23-18. The Wolves kept pushing, with an attack error and kill by Hurliman trimming the deficit back to three at 23-20. After moving to match point at 24-20, WOU got back-to-back kills from Hurliman before a kill by Ellen Floyd closed the match for UAA at 25-22.
UAA posted 40 kills to 12 errors in 102 chances (.275). WOU had 34 kills to 24 errors in 113 chances (.088). The Seawolves held the edge in service aces (7-4), blocks (8-4), assists (39-32) and digs (51-46). Eve Stephens led UAA with 13 kills, while Lisa Jaunet was right behind with 12 kills. Ellen Floyd dished out 33 assists. On defense, Vera Pluharova sent back four blocks, while Akor Maywin and Floyd added three blocks. Talia Leauanae added 12 digs.
WOU remains home this coming week as they will host Saint Martin's on Saturday evening starting at 7 p.m. inside NPE.
