ANCHORAGE – Mahala Kaapuni and Eve Stephens ripped 10 kills apiece and setter Ellen Floyd dished 33 assists Saturday to lead the 23rd-ranked Alaska Anchorage volleyball team to its eighth consecutive victory, sweeping Alaska Fairbanks 25-23, 25-16, 25-22.

The Seawolves (15-5, 8-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) also got nine kills on .571 hitting from senior middle blocker Vera Pluharova as they stretched their overall league winning streak to 14, dating to the 2019 season.

The Nanooks (13-8, 6-3) were led by seven kills from AveRee Reynolds and a match-high 16 digs from Dani Dodge, but the visitors were outhit .239 to .028 and fell to 0-7 all-time against UAA at the Alaska Airlines Center.

"We were able to gut out the first and third sets despite not passing well," said UAA head coach Chris Green. "Fortunately Ellen and Vera had their good connection working again today, and once our middle attack got going, it opened things up for our pin hitters."

UAA overcame late comeback attempts by UAF in the first and third sets to earn the sweep. In the opening frame, the Seawolves led 21-15 and 23-19 before the Nanooks tied it with four straight points. Following a UAA timeout, Floyd answered with consecutive assists to Kaapuni and Pluharova to pull out the win.

A second-year freshman from Hilo, Hawaii, Kaapuni continued her hot swing in the second set with five kills and no errors on 10 attacks, helping UAA hit .333 for the frame.

The Seawolves trailed 14-10 in the third before Reilly Plumhoff served six straight points, getting a pair of block assists from Stephens and Akor Maywin during the surge. Tied 17-17, Talia Leauanae served one of her three aces to put UAA ahead for good, with the lead stretching to 23-19 on another kill by Pluharova.

UAF took the next three rallies to force another timeout by Green, and his team would respond again when Pluharova and Lisa Jaunet combined to block Reynolds on the right side. Green then called on freshman Nicole Blue – who had not played since the opening set – to serve on match point, and the Cerritos, Calif., native came through with the clinching ace.

Leauanae finished with a team-high 12 digs and Floyd added 11 digs, while Pluharova and Stephens led the team with four block assists apiece. Jaunet had six kills.

For Pluharova, Saturday's effort marked her eighth plus-.400 attack percentage of the season and was her third time hitting plus-.500 in the last four matches.

Off to their second-best GNAC start in the 20-year history of the league, the Seawolves return to the road next week to face Seattle Pacific (Thur., Oct. 21, 6 p.m. ADT) and Montana State Billings (Sat., Oct. 23, 11 a.m. ADT).