ANCHORAGE – Junior right-side hitter Eve Stephens delivered a match-high 17 kills but the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team could not pull out a tight fifth set Saturday at the Seawolf Sports Complex, suffering their first loss of the season, 23-25, 25-23, 25-19, 5-25, 15-13, against Alaska Fairbanks.

The Seawolves (4-1) also got 14 kills, six digs and four block assists from freshman Nicole Blue as they lost despite outhitting their rivals .252 to .075.

The Nanooks (4-3) were led by 16 kills from senior outside hitter Lahra Weber as they avenged Friday's 3-0 loss to UAA.

"We did not play with the same consistency or intensity that we brought to the court last night," said UAA head coach Chris Green. "UAF is a good team, and they executed much better today. We'll look forward to a couple solid weeks of practice and keep improving."

The Seawolves took the momentum from yesterday's win into the opening set as senior middle blocker Vera Pluharova picked up two solo blocks in the first three points and later converted the set-point kill at 24-23.

UAA lost a major opportunity in the second set, however, as UAF erased a 23-19 deficit with six straight points to tie the match.

After UAF controlled set 3, the Seawolves responded with a dominant 25-5 win in the fourth, outhitting the visitors .353 to -.314.

The fifth set went back-and-forth until the Nanooks grabbed an 11-7 lead on a Stephens attack error. Blue responded with a pair of kills to tie it again at 11-11, but the Seawolves could never regain the lead. Tied 13-13, UAF's AveRee Reynolds notched her 11th and final kill, and Zoey Keene served an ace on match point.

Pluharova finished with six kills and a career-high 11 total blocks, while Blue committed only two attack errors on her way to a match-best .462 hitting percentage. Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Pembroke had nine kills on .269 hitting and was 19 of 19 on serve receptions, while junior libero Talia Leauanae led the Seawolves with 14 digs.

Junior setter Ellen Floyd finished with 37 assists, five kills, three aces, nine digs and four total blocks.

With her 17 kills, Stephens rose two spots to No. 14 on the Seawolves' career list, now with 847.

UAA will take next weekend off before returning to action with Apr. 10-11 doubleheaders against Western Oregon and Central Washington in Ellensburg, Wash.