Box Score SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Sophomore Eve Stephens led a comeback attempt with 14 kills but it wasn't enough for the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team as its season ended with a 25-11, 23-25, 25-20, 25-14 loss to nationally top-ranked Cal State San Bernardino in the NCAA Div. II West Regional Championships second round on Friday at The Den.

The 4th-seeded Seawolves (23-7) also got 10 kills from freshman Hannah Pembroke and eight blocks by junior Vera Pluharova as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference runners-up were denied their program's second NCAA 'Sweet 16' berth.

The top-seeded Coyotes (29-0) were led by 15 kills from West Region Player of the Year Alexis Cardoza, plus 11 kills on .556 hitting and six blocks from middle blocker Jaylyn Hayes.

"It's always disappointing when your season comes to an end, but I can't fault this team's fight and determination," said UAA head coach Chris Green, whose squad advanced to the NCAA second round for the fourth time since 2009. "We could have hung our heads after playing so poorly in the first set, but we played some of our best volleyball of the year in the second. Unfortunately there's a reason they San Bernardino is unbeaten and No. 1, and they showed it late in the match. They are very deserving of advancing."

Having lost in straight sets to the Coyotes at the D2 West Region Showcase in September, the rematch appeared to be a repeat, as the hosts handed the Seawolves their worst set loss of the season in the opening frame.

The second set was much more tightly contested, with neither team leading by more than three points throughout. After being tied at every score from 14-14 to 22-22, UAA finally earned set point when Stephens converted a feed from Talia Leauanae for a kill, and Leauanae followed with an ace. Cardoza answered with a kill on the next rally before Stephens blasted another kill to tie the match.

Set three was another back-and-forth affair as the Seawolves took a 13-12 lead at the midway point and forged at 15-15 tie on a Pembroke kill. The Coyotes would earn eight of the next 11 rallies, however, clinching it on a kill by Mikaela Grove.

CSUSB pulled away early in the fourth set and outhit UAA .357 to .059 to close out the victory for the California Collegiate Athletic Association champions.

Stephens – a unanimous All-GNAC and First Team All-Region right-side hitter – added 11 digs to record her 12th double-double of the season, while Leauanae led UAA with 14 digs. All-conference sophomore setter Ellen Floyd dished 44 assists and made seven digs.

Junior middle blocker Kayla McGlathery capped her comeback season with eight kills, Pluharova had five kills on team-best .385 hitting, and senior Vanessa Hayes finished her 4-year career with six kills and eight digs. The final player remaining from UAA's 2016 NCAA runner-up team, Hayes finishes No. 11 on UAA's career kills list with 979, while her 97 victories are No. 4 all-time for a Seawolf.

"Vanessa can be very proud of the career she had here at UAA and I want to thank her and (departing defensive specialist) Anjoilyn Vreeland for the contributions they've made to our program, both on and off the court," Green added. "We will miss them, but the future looks very bright for us next year with a large core group returning."