BILLINGS, Mont. – Senior setter Morgan Hooe had 29 assists and six kills to orchestrate a balanced offensive attack Saturday, leading the 10th-ranked Alaska Anchorage volleyball team to its school-record 15th straight victory with a 25-20, 25-21, 25-18 sweep of Montana State Billings at Alterowitz Gymnasium.
The Seawolves (16-1, 6-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) were led defensively by sophomore libero Kyla Militante's 21 digs, while sophomore outside hitter Leah Swiss barely missed her fourth straight double-double, finishing with nine kills and 13 digs.
The Yellowjackets (2-13, 1-5) – one night after claiming their first GNAC win and snapping a 12-match losing skid – got 16 digs and a team-high nine kills from outside hitter Stormy Siemion.
Playing their fourth straight road match, the Seawolves hit just .188 on the night, but still held their opponents to a stingy .084 attack percentage. Sophomore Chrisalyn Johnson made a career-high nine digs to go with her seven kills, while freshman Diana Fa'amausili notched eight kills on .263 hitting and five block assists.
Freshman Vanessa Hayes had five blocks and five kills, doing most of her damage in a close first set. Neither team led by more than two points through the first 40 rallies of the opening frame, when Hayes delivered a kill and a block assist for a 21-19 lead. The rookie from Salem, Ore., had another block assist two rallies later as UAA claimed six of the last seven points in the set.
UAA fought off late MSUB surges in the second and third frames to run its series winning streaks to 13 overall and seven straight at Alterowitz.
The Seawolves are back at the Alaska Airlines Center next week for matches against Western Oregon (Thur., Oct. 6, 7 p.m.) and Concordia (Sat., Oct. 8, 1 p.m.). Call 907-786-1562 to visit GoSeawolves.com for ticket information.
NOTES: Last year's team had the previous record for longest win streak with its 14-0 start … UAA ran its GNAC road winning streak to 10 in a row … UAA has won 36 of the last 39 sets against MSUB … senior middle blocker Erin Braun claimed her 85th victory in Green & Gold, tying former teammate Katelynn Zanders (2012-15) for No. 2 on the program's all-time list; Hooe stands No. 3 now in victories with 83.
