ANCHORAGE (Sept. 12) - Michelle Garvin had 17 kills and 17 digs and Mindy Cason banged 19 kills, including match point, as the UAA volleyball team handed Seattle Pacific its first loss of the season, 28-30, 30-25, 30-20, 28-30, 15-10 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener for both teams Friday.

Senior setter Kasey Kuelper dished 61 assists for UAA (7-2, 1-0 GNAC), which won its sixth straight. The Seawolves overcame the impressive hitting of Jessica Bauder, who had 22 kills for the Falcons (7-1, 0-1).

Game 5 was tight from the start, with neither team leading by more than two points until the end. With UAA up 11-10, O'Lita McWilliams (14 kills, 14 digs) served the last four points. McWilliams made it 12-10 with a kill and Starr Burgan (15 kills, 9 digs, career-high 6 aces) followed with another down the center of the court. SPU setter Jenn Von Moos then committed an attack error, and Cason finished off the match on a set from Garvin on a broken play.

The Falcons, who had been off to their best start in school history, were resilient, winning Game 1 after trailing 28-24 and Game 4 after trailing 21-17. But UAA pulled out the match by outhitting SPU .353 (8 kills, 2 errors, 17 attempts) to .045 (5-4-22) in the fifth game.

Sophomore defensive specialist Kalie Davis delivered 13 digs, and junior middle blocker Katina Ozrelic had 10 kills in just three games, both off the bench.

UAA hosts 5th-ranked Western Washington at 7:05 p.m. Saturday in an early battle for GNAC supremacy. WWU defeated UAF 3-1 on Friday to run its GNAC win streak to 42 matches.