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#23 UAA drops GNAC opener at WOU

Women's Volleyball UAA Media Relations

#23 UAA drops GNAC opener at WOU

MONMOUTH, Ore. – McKenzie Moss and Jackie Matthisen both posted double-doubles, but late comebacks in the third and fourth sets came up short Thursday as 23rd-ranked Alaska Anchorage dropped its Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener 3-1 to host Western Oregon at the New P.E. Building.

The defending league-champion Seawolves (5-4, 0-1 GNAC), who had their 12-match conference winning streak stopped, also got a career-high-tying 20 digs from libero Nikkie Viotto.

WOU (3-3, 1-0) was led by 20 kills and 12 digs from outside hitter Danielle Reese, plus 17 digs from libero Megan Triggs to prevail 22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-23.

Moss tallied 16 kills on .387 hitting and made 14 digs, and Matthisen delivered 13 kills, 11 digs and five block assists, but UAA could not produce another offensive weapon as no other Seawolf managed more than three kills.

Sophomore middle blocker Leah McWilliams tied her career-high with seven block assists, while freshman Siobhan Johansen led UAA with 23 assists.

The Seawolves, who were playing their seventh match in seven days on the road, came back from a 20-19 deficit to claim the first set on back-to-back kills from Matthisen and Moss.

After making a three-point run to tie the second set 19-19, UAA surrendered the last six points to the hosts to leave it tied at one game apiece.

The Seawolves played comeback throughout the third set, finally drawing within 24-23 on a WOU service error, only to see Becky Blees and Stephanie Beeler block a Matthisen attack on set point.

The fourth set was more of the same, with the Seawolves clawing to within a point or two several times in the late-going. After Moss drew UAA within 24-23 yet again, the Wolves put away the victory when Seawolf reserve outside hitter Shelby Hollister committed an attack error.

UAA, which has been playing without injured starting middle blocker Cortney Lundberg the entire trip, finishes its road swing Saturday with another GNAC contest at Saint Martin's (0-6, 0-1) in Lacey, Wash. That match begins at 6 p.m. ADT.
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Players Mentioned

Leah McWilliams

Leah McWilliams

SPR
Freshman
Cortney Lundberg

#13 Cortney Lundberg

MB
6' 1"
Sophomore
Jackie Matthisen

#RS Jackie Matthisen

MB/OH
5' 11"
Sophomore
McKenzie Moss

#6 McKenzie Moss

OH
5' 11"
Freshman
Shelby Hollister

#16 Shelby Hollister

OH
5' 10"
Freshman
Leah McWilliams

#12 Leah McWilliams

MB
6' 0"
Freshman
Nikkie Viotto

#9 Nikkie Viotto

DS
5' 8"
Freshman
Siobhan Johansen

#10 Siobhan Johansen

S
5' 7"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Leah McWilliams

Leah McWilliams

Freshman
SPR
Cortney Lundberg

#13 Cortney Lundberg

6' 1"
Sophomore
MB
Jackie Matthisen

#RS Jackie Matthisen

5' 11"
Sophomore
MB/OH
McKenzie Moss

#6 McKenzie Moss

5' 11"
Freshman
OH
Shelby Hollister

#16 Shelby Hollister

5' 10"
Freshman
OH
Leah McWilliams

#12 Leah McWilliams

6' 0"
Freshman
MB
Nikkie Viotto

#9 Nikkie Viotto

5' 8"
Freshman
DS
Siobhan Johansen

#10 Siobhan Johansen

5' 7"
Freshman
S