SAN DIEGO (Dec. 4) – Junior outside hitter Lee Ivakina had eight kills and six digs Thursday as the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team saw its season come to an end with a 25-21, 25-18, 25-15 loss to Alaska Fairbanks in the NCAA Div. II West Regional Championships first round at Golden Gymnasium.

The 4th-seeded Seawolves (23-6) also got six kills from freshman Trinity Byrne, while freshman setter Johana Malikova had team highs of 14 assists and 10 digs.

The 5th-seeded Nanooks (24-5) were led by 14 kills from outside hitter in their program's first NCAA Tournament appearance. UAF will face top-seeded Point Loma in Friday night's second regional semifinal.

"Everything we were able to accomplish this year was pretty incredible, especially our second half of GNAC play," said UAA head coach Stacie Meisner, whose team won its last six regular-season matches to finish in a four-way tie for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title. "From doing well in preseason tournaments to put us (the GNAC) in position to get five teams into the tournament, and then battling it out with those teams in conference play, they have so much to be proud of, and I'm really proud of what they've done this year."

UAA's 23 victories tied for eighth-most in program history (since 1980), while the NCAA Tournament appearance was its 14th overall and the eighth in the last 11 seasons.

"For me, it won't ever be one season or one game that defined my career here at UAA," said senior libero Madison Galloway, the Seawolves' lone fourth-year senior. "I'm so thankful for this team, for past teams, for past players, for everything."

Galloway finishes her career No. 4 on UAA's career list with 1,404 digs, along with other top-10 ranks in sets played (8th, 442) and victories (t-10th, 81).

It was also the final match for senior outside hitter Tia Allen, who completed her four years at Saint Martin's and UAA with 1,226 kills, 1,237 digs and 109 aces – making her only the second player in 25 years of GNAC history with 1200/1200/100 totals. The Clayton, Wash., native was also a first team All-GNAC performer, alongside Ivakina.