The Alaska Nanooks women’s volleyball team achieved their first home conference win of the season on Thursday, defeating Saint Martin’s and extending their winning streak to ten matches. The team’s overall record now stands at 12-1, with a 3-0 mark in Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) play.
The match began with both teams exchanging points and demonstrating strong defensive efforts. Saint Martin’s led 13-9 at the first timeout and went on to take the opening set 25-20. However, Alaska responded in the second set with a varied offensive approach, led by senior captain Elena Guc. Junior libero Tessa Onaga contributed significantly on defense, recording 21 digs as the Nanooks won the set 25-15.
In the third set, junior middle Peri Hoshock served three consecutive aces to help build a decisive lead for Alaska. Elena Guc added three kills down the line, securing another set victory for the Nanooks.
The final set was closely contested, but effective plays from Cynphany Henderson and Ainsley Smith allowed Alaska to distribute attacks across multiple hitters. Elena Guc finished with 14 kills and was named Player of the Match as her team closed out a 26-24 win in the fourth set.
Cynphany Henderson nearly recorded a triple-double with 30 assists, 19 digs, and seven kills. Presley Engelauf contributed ten kills, while Ainsley Smith added 17 assists. Onaga’s performance continues to stand out this season; she is averaging 4.78 digs per set and is on track to surpass the program record of 4.74 digs per set established by Tiffani Pulver in 1997.
Alaska will next face Western Oregon on Saturday at home. Western Oregon recently lost to University of Alaska Anchorage in four sets.
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