Scoreboard

#10 Vikings take first-place battle, 3-1

Women's Volleyball UAA Media Relations

#10 Vikings take first-place battle, 3-1

ANCHORAGE – Alaska Anchorage's Katelynn Zanders blasted a match-high 20 kills Thursday but it was not enough for the home team as 10th-ranked Western Washington earned a 22-25, 25-17, 25-15, 25-15 victory over the Seawolves to take over first place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

The Seawolves (18-9, 12-3 GNAC) – ranked No. 8 in the latest NCAA Div. II West Region poll – also got a career-high 16 kills and 12 digs from junior outside hitter Brooke Pottle, plus 21 digs from junior libero Quinn Barker as they fell out of the league lead for the first time all year.

The Vikings (20-3, 13-2) – ranked No. 5 in the West – used a balanced offense and great defense to bounce back from a narrow first-set loss, getting 13 kills and five blocks from Kayla Erickson and a match-high 27 digs from libero Samantha Hutchinson.

WWU outblocked the Seawolves 12-4 and led 76-69 in digs, avenging a 5-set loss to UAA on Oct. 19 in Bellingham. After UAA owned a .333-to-.244 hitting advantage in the opening set, the Vikings flipped the script and finished with a .294-to-.160 edge for the match, sending home an unhappy Wells Fargo Sports Complex crowd of 601.

Pottle delivered her third straight double-double, while Zanders also notched 10 digs to continue another impressive streak with her seventh consecutive double-double and 12th on the year. Junior right-side hitter Maureen Sabado had a solid night with seven kills on errorless hitting (.389), but no other Seawolf produced more than four kills.

UAA setters Morgan Hooe and Siobhan Johansen combined for 45 assists and 19 digs in the loss, which leaves the Seawolves one game behind WWU with three matches to play. The Seawolves host 7th-place Simon Fraser in their home finale Saturday (7 p.m.) before closing on road at last-place Montana State Billings and 5th-place Seattle Pacific. The Vikings end with a road match at 9th-place Alaska Fairbanks, followed by a home-and-home series with Simon Fraser.

NOTES: The Seawolves played for the sixth straight match without injured right-side hitter Julia Mackey (3.17 kills per set, .277 attack pct.), who last played in UAA's victory over WWU in Bellingham … Barker moved up to 10th place on UAA's single-season digs list, now with 442 … Johansen tied former teammate Nikkie Viotto (2009-12) for 16th on UAA's career matches-played list at 106 … Johansen, middle blocker Jodi Huddleston and 4-year team manager Gaynor Johansen will be honored in pre-match 'senior night' ceremonies at the WFSC.


Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Gaynor Johansen

Gaynor Johansen

THR
Freshman
Nikkie Viotto

#9 Nikkie Viotto

DS
5' 8"
Freshman
Siobhan Johansen

#10 Siobhan Johansen

S
5' 7"
Freshman
Maureen Sabado

#RS Maureen Sabado

MB
5' 10"
Sophomore
Jodi Huddleston

#16 Jodi Huddleston

MB
6' 1"
Junior
Julia Mackey

#6 Julia Mackey

RS
5' 11"
Freshman
Katelynn Zanders

#14 Katelynn Zanders

OH
5' 9"
Freshman
Quinn Barker

#1 Quinn Barker

L
5' 4"
Junior
Morgan Hooe

#2 Morgan Hooe

S
5' 6"
Freshman
Brooke Pottle

#13 Brooke Pottle

OH
5' 8"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Gaynor Johansen

Gaynor Johansen

Freshman
THR
Nikkie Viotto

#9 Nikkie Viotto

5' 8"
Freshman
DS
Siobhan Johansen

#10 Siobhan Johansen

5' 7"
Freshman
S
Maureen Sabado

#RS Maureen Sabado

5' 10"
Sophomore
MB
Jodi Huddleston

#16 Jodi Huddleston

6' 1"
Junior
MB
Julia Mackey

#6 Julia Mackey

5' 11"
Freshman
RS
Katelynn Zanders

#14 Katelynn Zanders

5' 9"
Freshman
OH
Quinn Barker

#1 Quinn Barker

5' 4"
Junior
L
Morgan Hooe

#2 Morgan Hooe

5' 6"
Freshman
S
Brooke Pottle

#13 Brooke Pottle

5' 8"
Junior
OH