FAIRBANKS, Alaska (Aug. 25) – Career efforts from veterans Nicole Blue and Makana Eleneki were not enough for the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team Friday night as the Seawolves dropped a 28-26, 19-25, 25-23, 25-22 decision to Hawaii Hilo in the Alaska/Hawaii Challenge at the Patty Center.

Ranked No. 14 in the AVCA NCAA Div. II preseason top 25 poll, UAA (0-2) got 19 kills and 19 digs from Blue, who posted a career-high in kills for the second match in a row and topped her previous best by three digs. The senior tied another career high with four aces.

A junior in her first season as starting setter for the defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions, Eleneki accounted for career bests of 44 assists, four kills on .571 hitting and 12 digs. Junior college transfer Bethany Tuchardt tallied 13 kills and 17-of-17 serve receiving.

The Vulcans (2-0) got a match-high 19 kills on .450 hitting from Isabella Hadaller and 44 assists from Emerson Reinke as they won despite being edged .239 to .231 in attack percentage.

"When you look up and down the stat sheet, that was an even match in every way, but Hilo took some rallies at key times and we ran into some very bad luck on a couple plays, especially late in set one," said first-year UAA head coach Stacie Meisner. "Although it came in a loss, we continued to see some positives as this team continues to build its identity."

After leading much of the opening frame, UAA fell behind late and used a kill by Tuchardt to tie it 24-24. Following a Blue kill that made it 25-24, Hilo's Kamryn Childs appeared to hit the ball wide, but a touch was called against the Seawolves, who had already begun their celebration. UAA earned another set point on a Blue smash, but the Vulcans rallied for the last three points to go up 1-0.

The Seawolves evened the match with .319 hitting in the second set, powered by 11 assists from Eleneki and five kills apiece from Blue and Tuchardt.

Hilo took the pivotal third frame by fending off a late Seawolf comeback and getting a kill from Childs on set point, and the fourth was tied 13-13 before the Pacific West Conference squad pulled away late.

Picked fifth in the GNAC preseason coaches' poll after losing a pair of All-Americans from last year's 27-3 squad, the Seawolves also got 12 kills and three block assists from newcomer Larssen Anderson and nine kills on .500 hitting from junior middle blocker Isabel Evans.

Junior libero Reilly Plumhoff had 15 digs and a pair of aces, and junior middle blocker Leilani Elder posted five block assists.

UAA returns to the same court Saturday for rematches against Chaminade (2-0) at 10:30 a.m. and Hilo at 4 p.m. Surf to GoSeawolves.com for links to live video and stats.