ANCHORAGE (Sept. 5) – Senior outside hitter Tia Allen had 18 kills and 14 digs Friday to help the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team remain unbeaten with a comeback victory, 21-25, 25-17, 30-32, 25-17, 15-12, over Cal State San Marcos in the Seawolf Invitational at the Alaska Airlines Center.

The Seawolves (6-0) also got 15 kills and 12 digs from junior outside hitter Lee Ivakina, along with 45 assists, 18 digs and four aces from freshman setter Johana Malikova.

The Cougars (1-2) got a match-high 19 kills from outside hitter Addison Kranz, but the visitors from the California Collegiate Athletic Association were held to -.130 hitting in the fifth set.

"This is the kind of match that tests you and makes you better late in the season," said UAA head coach Stacie Meisner. "I'm proud of the way we responded after losing an extremely close third set, with lots of different players stepping up again."

After splitting the first two sets, the Seawolves had an opportunity to take command, but could not capitalize on a 24-21 advantage in the third. UAA earned a fourth and fifth shot at set point after kills by Ivakina and Bella Burney, and seemed to convert on a sixth chance when Allen smashed what initially looked like a kill with the score 30-29. The Cougars challenged the call and won, however, then took the frame on another Allen attack error and a kill from Ebony Lewis.

The Seawolves would trail only briefly the rest of the way, stretching a 13-12 lead in the fourth on a 4-0 run behind the serve of Elena Hansen. UAA pulled away with its best offensive showing in that set, outhitting the visitors .406 to .250.

After giving up the first point of the fifth, UAA responded again with six straight points, and the teams switched sides at 8-4. The Cougars whittled an 11-5 deficit down to 12-11 on a kill by Nelia Trower, but saw their momentum fizzle with a service error on the next point. Allen knocked a kill off the Cougar block to go up 14-11, and the team captain ripped the clincher on UAA's second try at match point.

Playing her second season at UAA after transferring from Saint Martin's, Allen bettered her previous Seawolf career best by three kills.

Ivakina had her fourth double-double in six matches as a Seawolf, and sophomore Martina Riba had a career-high nine kills, along with six block assists and three aces.

Freshman rightside hitter Emma Beck was in double figures again with 13 kills, plus five block assists, and Burney collected five kills.

Hansen equaled Malikova with a match-high four aces, helping UAA to a season-high 14 as a team.

Senior libero Madison Galloway had 15 digs for UAA, which completes its non-conference home slate with the Seawolf Invitational finale Saturday at 2 p.m. against Minot State at the Alaska Airlines Center. Find tickets, live links and more at GoSeawolves.com.