BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Senior outside hitter Vanessa Hayes had 17 kills and junior middle blocker Kayla McGlathery delivered 13 kills and five blocks Thursday to propel Alaska Anchorage to a 23-25, 22-25, 25-23, 27-25, 16-14 upset of No. 4 Western Washington in a battle of Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball heavyweights at Carver Gymnasium.

The Seawolves (19-6, 14-3 GNAC) also got 43 assists, 14 digs and four block assists from sophomore setter Ellen Floyd as they snapped WWU's 39-match home winning streak and swept the regular-season series for first time since 2011 and just the third time since the GNAC's formation in 2001.

The Vikings (23-2, 15-2) were led by 17 kills and 16 digs from freshman outside hitter Calley Heilborn, but the hosts fell despite statistical advantages in hitting percentage (.250 to .191), blocks (16-12) and digs (71-68). WWU was hurt by 17 service errors, while allowing 10 aces by UAA.

A Vikings victory would have clinched no worse than a share for their third straight GNAC title, but the Seawolves could now earn at least a share by going unbeaten in their last three matches and hoping for one more loss by WWU.

"I can't express how proud I am of this group tonight," said UAA head coach Chris Green, whose team was playing its second straight match without GNAC kills leader Eve Stephens. "Absolutely everyone stepped up tonight and played with a ton of confidence. Vanessa was hitting for a poor percentage at one point but she stuck with it and came through with some huge kills at the end, and Kayla's block was absolutely huge in the fifth."

In a clash between the NCAA Div. II West Region's 2nd- and 5th-ranked teams, every set was tight throughout, with UAA holding an advantage of no more than three points in any frame, while WWU twice stretched leads to five points.  

Despite pushing the Vikings the distance in the opening two sets, the Seawolves could not capitalize on late charges as they fell in a two-set hole.

WWU claimed a 13-8 lead midway through the third and seemed poised to avenge its 4-set loss in Anchorage on Oct. 19, but UAA rallied for six straight points, capped by consecutive aces from Anjoilyn Vreeland and consecutive kills from Hayes – the reigning GNAC Offensive Player of the Week. A block by Floyd and Jalisa Ingram made it 17-14, and UAA answered each of the five times WWU pulled within a point, including Hayes' kill on set point.

Trailing 15-11 in the fourth, Green called timeout and his team responded with an 8-1 surge in which Ingram accounted for three of her career-high eight kills. In a set that featured 11 ties and six lead changes, the Vikings earned a shot a match point, but Hayes knotted it 25-25 with a kill. WWU middle blocker Kayleigh Harper committed an attack error on the ensuing play, and UAA earned the frame when Viking setter Malia Aleaga was called for a lift.

The fifth set would feature 10 ties and six lead changes. Down 9-7, UAA answered the call again following a timeout by Green, with McGlathery collecting two blocks and Vreeland two more aces during a 5-0 run.

Hayes hit into a Viking block to knot the score 13-13, however the Seawolves' lone senior didn't back down, finding the court off the WWU block to earn match point at 15-14. Hayes made a dig to get the ball back on offense, and Floyd fed a perfect pass to freshman outside hitter Hannah Pembroke for the clinching kill.

McGlathery hit a match-high .423 and collected all five of her total blocks – including two solos – in the fifth set. Ingram hit .333 and tied her career high with five total blocks, while Pembroke and junior middle blocker Vera Pluharova notched eight kills apiece.

Defensively the Seawolves had five players with double-digit digs, getting 12 from libero Talia Leauanae, 11 from Vreeland and a career-high 11 from Schlueter.

With the victory, UAA also claims a two-match lead over their next opponent, regionally 8th-ranked Simon Fraser (16-9, 12-5), which suffered a 3-set home loss to Alaska Fairbanks earlier Thursday. First serve between the Seawolves and Clan is set for 6 p.m. AST at the SFU West Gym in Burnaby, British Columbia. Surf to gnac.tv to watch the live broadcast.