SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – Eve Stephens slammed 16 kills but the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team could not slow Cal State San Bernardino star Alexis Cardoza as her 26 kills lifted the top-seeded hosts to a 25-23, 25-27, 25-11, 25-17 victory in the first round of the NCAA West Regional Championships at Coussoulis Arena on Thursday night.

The 8th-seeded Seawolves also got 33 assists from setter Ellen Floyd and 14 digs from libero Talia Leauanae as they ended the season 19-12 overall.

The nationally 2nd-ranked Coyotes (26-3) outhit the Seawolves .312 to .164 to run their winning streak to 23 matches and advance to Friday's late semifinal against California Collegiate Athletic Association rival Cal State Los Angeles.

"They had a couple serving runs and caught up to us in that first set, I was proud of our team to come back in the second set and not feel defeated and play well enough to win it," said UAA head coach Chris Green, whose team was making its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance in 12 seasons. "We played pretty well in the fourth too, but just couldn't match them offensively."

UAA jumped to a 15-7 lead and led the first set 19-13 when freshman Nicole Blue served one of her three aces. A Sydney Johnson ace gave the Seawolves a 21-16 lead, but the hosts would rally. Cardoza gave the Coyotes a 23-22 edge with a kill, and Floyd answered with one of her own to tie it. San Bernardino continued its momentum, however, getting a kill from Jalyn Hayes and an ace by Marlee Nunley to take the set.

The second frame would be an epic battle, with neither team leading by more than three points. UAA earned the first of four set points when Stephens slammed a kill to make it 24-23, and the visitors took a 26-25 edge on a controversial four-hit call against the Coyotes. Stephens followed with another kill to tie the match.

"We were really excited to play," said UAA senior middle blocker Vera Pluharova. "We had nothing to lose because we knew everybody expected San Bernardino to win. So we just went out and we played hard."

"I thought – with the exception of the third set – that we played some of our best volleyball of the season," Green added.

An All-West Region and three-time All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference right-side hitter, Stephens hit .263 and added nine digs and two total blocks. The Palmer native will enter her senior season No. 2 on UAA's career kills list, now with 1,427.

Pluharova had five kills on .444 hitting in her final match, while fellow middle blocker Akor Maywin collected six kills and three total blocks for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference co-runners-up.

Despite the loss, the Seawolves earned their 14th straight winning season in 2021 and should return the majority of their lineup for next year, losing only Pluharova to graduation.