SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Senior Jackie Matthisen had 17 kills and 13 digs to lead a balanced Alaska Anchorage attack Friday, helping the Seawolves to a 23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 17-25, 15-8 victory over Chico State at the Coyote Labor Day Classic at Coussoulis Arena.
The Seawolves also got 15 kills from junior right-side hitter Ariel Austin, while sophomore middle blocker Robyn Burton delivered 13 kills on .545 hitting, plus six total blocks. Junior setter Kimya Jafroudi, a junior college transfer from nearby Orange Coast College, delivered 49 assists, 12 digs and five block assists as well.
The Wildcats (0-1) were led by 27 kills and six digs from outside hitter Makenzie Snyder in the first-ever volleyball meeting between the schools.
UAA started slow but cranked up the level of play midway through the second set to take a 2-1 lead. After dropping the fourth set, the Seawolves then dominated the fifth, earning a 8-1 lead behind the serve of Quincy Haught and cruising to the win.
Haught, a sophomore libero, finished with career-highs of 21 digs and four aces.
#3 Cal State San Bernardino 3, Alaska Anchorage 0
In Friday's late match, the Seawolves played well through the first set and a half but could not keep up with the nation's 3rd-ranked squad as host Cal State San Bernardino earned a 25-21, 25-17, 25-13 victory at Coussoulis.
The Seawolves (3-3) were led by 8 kills from Matthisen and seven kills from junior outside hitter Nikkie Viotto.
The Coyotes (2-0), meanwhile, hit .371 as a team, getting six or more kills from five different players. Middle blocker Megan Johnson led CSUSB with nine kills and two solo blocks as the three-time defending NCAA Div. II West Region champions avenged their only regular-season loss from last season, when they finished 29-2.
UAA returns to action Saturday with two more matches here to finish the non-conference season. The Seawolves face Cal State Dominguez Hills (1-1) at 11 a.m. Alaska time, followed by a 4 p.m. showdown with Cal State Los Angeles (1-1).
