A crowd of 1,451 attended the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium at the Patty Center on Thursday, October 3, as the Alaska Nanooks women’s volleyball team secured a 3-1 victory over in-state rivals Alaska Anchorage. The win improved the Nanooks’ record to 14-1 overall and 5-0 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) play.
Alaska Anchorage took control early, winning the first set 25-16 with a strong offensive showing of 17 kills and just four errors. The Nanooks struggled initially, recording only 10 kills and seven errors in the opening set. However, they responded by winning the next three sets to claim the match.
In the second set, Alaska reversed their fortunes with 18 kills and a .292 hitting percentage while limiting UAA to 14 kills. The third set saw Alaska force UAA into 10 errors for a 25-21 win and a 2-1 lead in sets. The fourth set was closely contested but ended with a 27-25 victory for Alaska, who tallied 19 kills while holding UAA to 12.
The Nanooks finished with a total of 60 kills in the match. Mikala Henderson led all players with 15 kills and also recorded a double-double by adding 12 digs, an assist, and a block. Elena Guc contributed 13 kills along with three blocks and two digs.
Defensively, Tessa Onaga and Cynphany Henderson each had a team-high of 18 digs. Onaga added 11 assists and two aces, while C. Henderson registered an all-around performance with 20 assists, seven kills, four blocks, and an ace.
Ainsley Smith distributed a team-best of 23 assists alongside her own double-double effort that included 12 digs. Kellan Flynn came off the bench to add ten digs for Alaska.
Elizabeth Jackson provided five kills on .556 hitting efficiency along with four blocks and three digs.
This result marks the third consecutive win for Alaska over UAA.
Looking ahead, the Nanooks will have time off before traveling next week to face Western Washington University—ranked No.19—and Simon Fraser University—ranked No.7—in recent AVCA National Polls.
