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UAA trips SPU for 12th straight win

Women's Volleyball UAA Media Relations

UAA trips SPU for 12th straight win

ANCHORAGE – Jackie Matthisen slammed 21 kills, including a rocket on match point, as the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team earned its school-record 12th straight win with a 27-25, 28-26, 19-25, 25-22 decision Saturday night over Seattle Pacific at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

The second-largest crowd in program history (803) watched as the Seawolves (22-7, 14-2 GNAC) also got 15 kills from junior middle blocker Cortney Lundberg and 20 digs from senior libero Stacie Meisner to close their regular season on a high note.

UAA – the Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions and ranked No. 5 in the West Region – will now await its NCAA Tournament pairing when the field is announced at 5 p.m. AST Sunday.

The Falcons (17-11, 11-5), ranked No. 7 in the region, were led by 21 kills and 19 digs from outside hitter Priscilla Collings, plus 13 kills and 10 digs by Sarah Risser. Despite the loss, SPU still finished second in the league standings, one match ahead of Western Washington and Montana State Billings.

Saturday's first two sets were knock-down, drag-out battles, with the Seawolves barely prevailing each time. In the first, UAA rallied from a 12-16 deficit to take its first lead at 20-19. Even with a 24-22 lead, the Seawolves still needed four set points to secure the early advantage, finally winning on back-to-back attack errors by Risser.

In the second, SPU rallied with four straight points to take a 24-23 edge before Lundberg answered with a resounding kill to tie it. Trailing again at 26-25, Matthisen sandwiched a pair of kills around another Risser error, giving the home team the final three points and a two-set lead.

After SPU controlled action throughout the third, the teams again settled into a tight affair in the fourth.

A kill by freshman Marie Borowikow (10 kills, 3 blocks, .400 attack%) gave UAA the lead for good at 19-18 and started a 3-0 run. Then, leading 22-21, Matthisen ripped a kill and teamed with senior Ashley Bates for a block on SPU's Jessica Bettencourt. One point later, UAA's sophomore outside hitter would finish the match by converting on setter Calli Scott's 49th assist.

The Seawolves have now won 36 of their last 40 sets since suffering a 3-1 defeat Sept. 28 at Montana State Billings. The previous school record of 11 straight victories was set in 1984.


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Players Mentioned

Ashley Bates

#7 Ashley Bates

MB
6' 0"
Junior
Cortney Lundberg

#13 Cortney Lundberg

MB
6' 1"
Sophomore
Jackie Matthisen

#RS Jackie Matthisen

MB/OH
5' 11"
Sophomore
Stacie Meisner

#14 Stacie Meisner

L
5' 8"
Junior
Calli Scott

#4 Calli Scott

S
5' 8"
Junior
Marie Borowikow

#13 Marie Borowikow

OH
6' 3"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Ashley Bates

#7 Ashley Bates

6' 0"
Junior
MB
Cortney Lundberg

#13 Cortney Lundberg

6' 1"
Sophomore
MB
Jackie Matthisen

#RS Jackie Matthisen

5' 11"
Sophomore
MB/OH
Stacie Meisner

#14 Stacie Meisner

5' 8"
Junior
L
Calli Scott

#4 Calli Scott

5' 8"
Junior
S
Marie Borowikow

#13 Marie Borowikow

6' 3"
Freshman
OH