ANCHORAGE ? Outside hitter Rhea Cardwell and middle blocker Kim Stolk both delivered career-high kills performances Saturday to lead Alaska Anchorage to its fourth straight volleyball victory, a 30-19, 23-30, 25-30, 30-24, 15-7 decision over Armstrong Atlantic State at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
The Seawolves (4-2) recorded their third 5-game win of the season, although Saturday marked the first time they have rebounded from a 2-games-to-1 deficit. Meanwhile, hard-luck AASU (2-5) dropped its fourth 5-gamer of the year, despite 16 kills and seven blocks from middle blocker Allyson Ray.
The Seawolves took a quick early lead, getting incredible hitting from Cardwell (22 kills, 18 digs) and Stolk (16 kills, 6 total blocks) in the first game. Cardwell hit .692 (9 kills-0 errors-13 attacks) and Stolk .750 (6-0-8) in that frame as UAA took the early advantage.
But the Pirates, of Savannah, Ga., and the Peach Belt Conference, stormed back in Games 2 and 3 despite losing standout senior Rindy Vidovich to a hyperextended elbow midway through the second.
UAA responded in the fourth game, stretching to a 23-16 lead before allowing the Pirates six straight points. An AASU service error killed the visitors' momentum, however, and the Seawolves tied it at two apiece when Cardwell ended the game with three consecutive kills.
The Seawolves were again at their strongest in the fifth game, taking a 4-2 lead on junior Rachel Kidwell's kill and dominating the rest of the way. Stolk, the team's lone senior, smashed a line-drive winner into the middle of the court for the winning point.
Kidwell had a match-high 22 digs for UAA, which also got double-digit digs from Joanna Johnson (16), junior setter Milica Micovic (18) and junior libero Cristal Negron (10). Micovic finished with 45 assists.
Redshirt freshman Samantha Calderwood, of Kenai, saw the first action of her career, delivering the game-winning assist to Stolk in the first game.
Saturday's triumph draws UAA already within one victory of its 2006 total. The Seawolves next begin Great Northwest Athletic Conference play when they travel north to meet arch-rival Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. ADT.
