ANCHORAGE ? The Alaska Anchorage volleyball team got career-best hitting performances from senior outside hitters Rhea Cardwell and Rachel Kidwell on Friday night to defeat Harding 25-23, 19-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-6, and clinch a spot in the Extended Stay Deluxe Invitational title match.
The Seawolves (2-1 overall) improved to 2-0 in round-robin play as they registered their best team hitting percentage since 2003, connecting at a .335 clip.
Harding (0-2) lost despite match-highs of 30 kills from outside hitter Manuela Nesheva and 21 digs from libero Emily Tate. Nesheva was the NCAA Div. II kills leader in 2007 with just over five per game as the Lady Bisons won 25 matches.
Friday's late result means that Saturday's early matches will not affect the round-robin standings, with Harding already slated to meet Ohio Valley (0-2) in the 5 p.m. consolation match, and UAA set to meet Texas Woman's (2-0) in the 7 p.m. title tilt at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
After relinquishing a late 19-15 lead to lose the third set, UAA found its back against the wall with a 23-21 deficit in the fourth set and Harding serving. However, the Seawolves responded with consecutive kills from Joanna Johnson (9 kills, .304, 8 digs) and Cardwell to tie it, and went ahead 24-23 on a Nesheva attack error. The visitors from Searcy, Ark., fought off one set point before UAA knotted the match on a Kidwell kill and another Lady Bison attack error.
The fifth set looked like another tight one early, however UAA pulled away from a 5-5 deadlock to win 10 of the last 11 points.
Cardwell finished with career-highs of 24 kills and .355 hitting, while Kidwell did the same with 21 kills and .400 hitting. Both players registered UAA's first double-doubles of the season as Kidwell made 14 digs and Cardwell 12.
Junior setter Calli Scott tallied team-highs of 53 assists and 17 digs, and sophomore middle blocker Cortney Lundberg had eight kills and four block assists.
Prior to the championship session, UAA will take on Texas Woman's at 11 a.m. and Harding will play Ohio Valley at 1 p.m. in the final round-robin matches.
