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UAA wins battle of Seawolves with sweep

Women's Volleyball UAA Media Relations

UAA wins battle of Seawolves with sweep

ROHNERT PARK, Calif. – Sophomores Leah Swiss and Chrisalyn Johnson combined for 20 kills and 12th-ranked Alaska Anchorage used a familiar formula to earn a 25-21, 25-13, 25-17 sweep of host Sonoma State in the final match of the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase at the Wolves' Den on Saturday night.

UAA (10-1) finished the Showcase unbeaten in four matches and ran its win streak to nine overall, getting 32 assists, three kills and eight digs from All-American setter Morgan Hooe in the finale. Swiss smashed a match-high 11 kills and made eight digs as the visitors dominated the hitting battle, .280 to .127.

Sonoma State (2-5) was led by nine kills from Caiti Wiesner and 26 assists from setter Courtney Seda.

In only the second volleyball meeting ever between the only two NCAA Div. II programs with the Seawolves nickname, it was the northerners who struck early and often.

The first frame featured 13 ties and five lead changes, with UAA finally taking control when Johnson's second kill snapped a 15-15 deadlock. UAA took the next two rallies and kept a multipoint advantage the rest of the way, until Hooe delivered a kill on set point.

The second set was decided quickly, with UAA jumping to a 13-4 lead and outhitting Sonoma .303 to .107. Sonoma struck back for a 12-9 lead in the third set, but UAA scored the next five points, sparked by a kill and an ace from senior Erin Braun. Freshman Vanessa Hayes notched one of her six kills for a 21-14 lead, and Braun ripped a kill down the middle on match point a few minutes later.

Braun and Hayes had six kills each as the middle-blocking tandem combined for only one attack error and a .458 attack percentage, while freshman right-side hitter Diana Fa'amausili blasted seven kills and matched her own UAA season-high eight total blocks.

Sophomore libero Kyla Miliante-Amper held down the back row flawlessly again, making 21 digs and going 12 for 12 on serve receptions.

UAA – the defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champion – is now 18-1 in regular-season, non-conference matches over the past two seasons, suffering its only loss Aug. 26 at Chaminade. Four of the Seawolves' last five wins have come against other 2015 NCAA Tournament teams, including Sonoma State, which was the No. 3 seed at last year's West Regional.

UAA returns home to the Alaska Airlines Center – where it led the nation in attendance last year – to begin the GNAC campaign with a 7 p.m. clash against Saint Martin's on Friday, Sept. 16. Visit GoSeawolves.com or call 907-786-1562 for ticket information.

NOTES: The first meeting between UAA and Sonoma State came in a 2014 NCAA Tournament First Round match, won 3-1 by Sonoma on its way to the West Region title … Hayes equaled her most kills for the third time and hit a career-high .556 (6-1-9) … Fa'amausili collected her first career solo block and matched the eight total she had in Friday's win over Dixie State … junior transfer Keala Kaio-Perez finished with 10 digs, reaching double figures for the third time in four matches at the Showcase.
 

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Players Mentioned

Erin Braun

#15 Erin Braun

MB
6' 0"
Freshman
Morgan Hooe

#2 Morgan Hooe

S
5' 6"
Freshman
Leah Swiss

#7 Leah Swiss

OH
6' 0"
Freshman
Chrisalyn Johnson

#9 Chrisalyn Johnson

OH
5' 9"
Freshman
Diana Fa

#17 Diana Fa'amausili

RS
5' 11"
Freshman
Vanessa Hayes

#18 Vanessa Hayes

MB
5' 11"
Freshman
Keala Kaio-Perez

#4 Keala Kaio-Perez

L/RS
5' 7"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Erin Braun

#15 Erin Braun

6' 0"
Freshman
MB
Morgan Hooe

#2 Morgan Hooe

5' 6"
Freshman
S
Leah Swiss

#7 Leah Swiss

6' 0"
Freshman
OH
Chrisalyn Johnson

#9 Chrisalyn Johnson

5' 9"
Freshman
OH
Diana Fa

#17 Diana Fa'amausili

5' 11"
Freshman
RS
Vanessa Hayes

#18 Vanessa Hayes

5' 11"
Freshman
MB
Keala Kaio-Perez

#4 Keala Kaio-Perez

5' 7"
Junior
L/RS