The Alaska Nanooks women’s volleyball team, currently ranked No. 18 in the nation, is set for two significant away matches this week against top-25 opponents. The Nanooks will play the No. 7 Simon Fraser Red Leafs in Burnaby, British Columbia on Thursday, October 9, followed by a match against the No. 20 Western Washington Vikings in Bellingham, Washington on Saturday, October 11.
The team has not competed since their victory over Alaska Anchorage on October 2. In that match, the Nanooks secured a four-set win during their annual whiteout and Pack the Patty night, improving their season record to 14-1 overall and 5-0 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) play. Mikala Henderson led with a double-double of 15 kills and 12 digs. Elenaa Guc contributed 13 kills, while Cynphany Henderson added 20 assists, 18 digs, seven kills, and four blocks. Elizabeth Jackson and Peri Hoshock each recorded four blocks. Ainsley Smith led with 23 assists and Tessa Onaga had 18 digs and 11 assists.
Following this performance, the Nanooks were named GNAC Team of the Week on October 6. Their recent home game attracted an audience of nearly 1,500 fans at Alaska Airlines Gymnasium and marked their twelfth consecutive win. They remain the only undefeated team in GNAC conference play through three weeks.
Currently leading the GNAC standings with a record of 14-1 overall and a perfect conference record, Alaska is ahead of Simon Fraser (11-1), Western Washington (11-2), and Alaska Anchorage (13-2).
The Nanooks have been effective defensively this season, holding opponents to a .094 hitting percentage—the best in NCAA Division II—and accumulating 147 total team blocks for tenth nationally and first in the GNAC. The team also ranks first in the conference for digs per set (17.02), total assists (681), kills (728), and attacks (2139). Peri Hoshock leads the team at the net with an average of 1.29 blocks per set—third in GNAC—and ranks twentieth nationally in total blocks with seventy-one.
Tessa Onaga leads both the conference and is among national leaders in digs per set (4.64) and total digs (274). She also tops the GNAC with twenty-five service aces this season.
Simon Fraser enters Thursday’s matchup ranked seventh nationally with an eleven-win streak following an early conference loss to Central Washington. The Red Leafs are coached by Gina Schmidt in her twelfth season.
Western Washington stands at eleventh wins against two losses ahead of facing Alaska Anchorage before hosting Alaska on Saturday. The Vikings are coached by Diane Flick-Williams.
The Nanooks are one of three GNAC teams currently ranked in the AVCA National Poll top-25 after moving up from No. 23 last week—a first for the program—to No. 18 this week.
