BILLINGS, Mont. – Junior hitters Julia Mackey and Katelynn Zanders both delivered double-doubles Saturday to lead the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team to its sixth straight victory with a 23-25, 25-14, 25-23, 25-23 squeaker over Montana State Billings at Alterowitz Gymnasium.
The Seawolves (16-3, 10-1 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) also got 42 assists, eight digs, four kills, three aces and three block assists from sophomore setter Morgan Hooe as they persevered to win epic set points in the third and fourth frames.
The Yellowjackets (10-9, 5-6) were led by 12 kills from Chelsey Walter and 20 digs from Haley Wells as they suffered a 10th straight loss against the Seawolves.
UAA nearly came back to erase a 23-18 deficit in the opening set, creeping within 24-23 before Walter ended it with a kill. MSUB hit for an impressive .419 attack percentage in the first, but the Seawolves asserted themselves defensively and ran away with second, holding the Yellowjackets to a -.172 mark.
After pulling ahead midway through the third, the Seawolves stretched their lead to 23-18 and appeared on the way to an easy 2-1 lead. But MSUB rallied for the next four points before Caitlin McInerney's kill quelled the surge and made it 24-22. Walter answered with a kill to keep her team alive, setting up an epic set point. Both teams made several diving digs during the rally before Zanders ended it on a cross-court kill.
UAA dug out of an early 12-6 hole in the fourth and finally went ahead 19-17 on back-to-back kills from Zanders and Mackey. Mackey made it 24-21 with her 16th and final kill, however the hosts earned the next two rallies, forcing Seawolf head coach Chris Green to call timeout. What followed was a near carbon copy of the point that ended the third set, ending this time when Walter's final attack went into the net.
Zanders finished with 13 kills and 14 digs for her second straight double-double and team-high sixth this season. Meanwhile, Mackey added 12 digs, two aces and a pair of solo blocks, showing no ill effects from a nagging knee injury that had slowed her recently.
Senior outside hitter Brooke Pottle had seven kills and 14 digs, while senior libero Quinn Barker led the Seawolves with 16 digs. McInerney posted a match-best four total blocks, including two solos.
With the win, the Seawolves remained in a first-place tie with Northwest Nazarene (17-2, 10-1) in the GNAC standings. That sets up a pair of huge home showdowns next week when UAA hosts fellow playoff contender Central Washington on Thursday, Oct. 23 and NNU on Oct. 25 at the Alaska Airlines Center. First serve both nights is 7 p.m.
