ANCHORAGE - Setter Kimya Jafroudi had 45 assists and the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team got another impressive showing from middle blocker Robyn Burton as it knocked off 15th-ranked Seattle Pacific in four sets Thursday to move into a first-place tie in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
The Seawolves (9-5, 5-1 GNAC) also got a match-high 17 kills from senior outside hitter Jackie Matthisen as they won their fifth straight overall - 26-24, 22-25, 25-15, 25-20 - and handed the Falcons (9-4, 4-1) their first loss in league play.
Outside hitter Cailin Fellows led SPU with 16 kills and five block assists, but the visitors could not overcome slow starts in the first, second and fourth sets. Fellow outside hitter Lindsey Wodrich had 15 kills and 12 digs, while libero Anna Herold had a match-high 20 digs as the Falcons lost for the fourth straight time at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.
UAA got off to a fast start when Burton drilled consecutive kills to begin a 5-0 run that put the Seawolves ahead 10-3. The lead remained fairly steady until SPU erased a 20-14 deficit to pull within one at 22-21. Back-to-back kills from Ariel Austin (11 kills, 5 block assists) and Nikkie Viotto (8 kills) gave the Seawolves three set points, but SPU took advantage of three straight UAA attack errors to tie it. UAA righted its ship at that point, and took the opener on kills from Austin and Burton.
The Falcons controlled the second set to tie it 1-1, but UAA took complete control early in the third by winning 12 straight points to take a 13-3 lead and cruise to a 2-sets-to-1 advantage.
The Seawolves also started hot in the fourth, scoring the first six points and only once letting the Falcons within two - 19-17 - before closing strong. Matthisen delivered a kill on match point to put an exclamation point on her seventh double-double (17 kills-16 digs) of the season.
Burton, meanwhile, finished with 14 kills on .344 hitting and tallied nine total blocks, including a career-best three solos. The reigning GNAC Player of the Week has 19 total blocks in the Seawolves' last two matches after tallying 10 in Saturday's victory at 25th-ranked Western Washington. UAA and WWU are now tied for the GNAC lead with 5-1 records, although the Seawolves technically hold the edge because of the head-to-head victory.
Jafroudi continued her strong play as well, earning a career-high 15 digs and getting two kills on just three attacks. Middle blocker Miranda Doing had four kills on .375 hitting and four total blocks, while libero Quincy Haught had 18 digs. Sophomore defensive specialist Siobhan Johansen was also solid along the back row, coming one shy of her career high with 12 digs.
The Seawolves return to the WFSC on Saturday night to take on Montana State Billings (8-6, 2-3) in a 7 p.m. start.
