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UAA tops #15 WWU in thriller

Women's Volleyball UAA Media Relations

UAA tops #15 WWU in thriller

ANCHORAGE – McKenzie Moss blasted 14 kills, including match point, and Jackie Matthisen delivered a double-double Saturday to lift the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team to a 25-23, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22 victory over 15th-ranked Western Washington at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

Matthisen had 10 kills, 16 digs and four block assists for the Seawolves (8-5, 3-2 GNAC), who made big comebacks to win the first, second and fourth sets.

Outside hitter Megan Amundson had 13 kills and 11 digs for the Vikings (8-2, 5-1), while Kathryn Mertens and Emily Jepsen tallied nine kills apiece.

The match was a battle of the teams picked to finish first (WWU) and second (UAA) in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll, although the Vikings entered as the hotter club, sporting five straight victories.

After closing out the first set on a kill by middle blocker Cortney Lundberg (7 kills, 5 block assists), UAA sophomore libero Nikkie Viotto sparked a second-set charge with three consecutive aces to tie that frame 16-16.

In fact, no lead proved safe in the showdown as the Seawolves rebounded from significant deficits – 17-13 in the first and 16-12 in the second – to claim the first two sets. The Seawolves went up 2-0 by claiming the four of the last five rallies in set 2, ending with consecutive kills from freshman middle blocker Robyn Burton (6 kills, 7 total blocks) and Matthisen.

UAA appeared poised for the sweep with a 21-17 lead in the third set, but the visitors from Bellingham, Wash., answered with an 8-1 run to prolong the evening.

The pattern continued in set 4 when WWU took a 16-9 lead on a block by Jepsen and Mertens, before UAA took advantage of three straight Viking attack errors on the ensuing points to get back into contention. The Seawolves knotted the score at 17 on Jepsen's attack error and took a 22-19 lead on a kill from Moss moments later.

WWU would not go quietly, however, with Kari Rice finishing a 3-0 run with an ace to forge the final tie, 22-22. With a raucous crowd of 588 on its feet, UAA responded with consecutive kills from Lee Golden (7 kills), Burton and Moss to earn the win.

Viotto lifted a match-high 19 digs for UAA, while setters Siobhan Johansen (23) and Adriana Aukusitino (18) combined for 43 assists.

The victory was UAA's second against a ranked team this year, along with a 3-0, neutral-court upset of then-No. 2 Cal State-San Bernardino on Sept. 4. WWU's only other loss this season came to the same CSUSB club. Saturday also marked UAA's third straight win in the series, which had featured 17 consecutive WWU victories from 2000 to 2008.

UAA – the defending GNAC champion – gets another crack at a ranked opponent next week when it travels to No. 17 Seattle Pacific on Thursday, Sept. 30. The Falcons moved to 12-0 on the season and took over the GNAC lead with a 4-0 league mark earlier Saturday night.

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Players Mentioned

Lee Golden

Lee Golden

JMP
Junior
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
Lee Golden

#RS Lee Golden

OH
5' 8"
Junior
Nikkie Viotto

#9 Nikkie Viotto

DS
5' 8"
Freshman
Adriana Aukusitino

#3 Adriana Aukusitino

S
5' 7"
Sophomore
Robyn Burton

#4 Robyn Burton

MB
5' 11"
Freshman
Siobhan Johansen

#10 Siobhan Johansen

S
5' 7"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Lee Golden

Lee Golden

Junior
JMP
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
Lee Golden

#RS Lee Golden

5' 8"
Junior
OH
Nikkie Viotto

#9 Nikkie Viotto

5' 8"
Freshman
DS
Adriana Aukusitino

#3 Adriana Aukusitino

5' 7"
Sophomore
S
Robyn Burton

#4 Robyn Burton

5' 11"
Freshman
MB
Siobhan Johansen

#10 Siobhan Johansen

5' 7"
Freshman
S