ANCHORAGE (Sept. 26) – Senior
Lee Ivakina led a late Alaska Anchorage comeback attempt with 15 kills and 11 digs, but No. 19 Simon Fraser was able to hold on for a 25-21, 25-12, 22-25, 25-23 volleyball victory Saturday.
The Seawolves (10-6, 3-3 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) also got eight kills and 10 digs from junior outside hitter
Kyana Gabriel as they lost for the first time in seven home matches at the Alaska Airlines Center.
The Red Leafs (8-3, 5-0) were led by a combined 27 kills and 15 digs from outside hitter duo Megan Hawkins and Katarina Damnjanovic, along with 24 digs from libero Macyn Unger.
"We had opportunities, but we let them be the aggressor most of the night, and Simon Fraser showed why it is the No. 1 team in the league right now," said UAA head coach
Morgan Hooe. "We did not execute like we're capable of."
After beating SFU twice in five sets last year, Saturday's opening set shaped up as another tight contest. UAA took a 19-17 advantage when Gabriel connected on a feed from
Hannah Trotter, but the early momentum would fizzle. The Canadians took the lead at 20-19 on an ace by setter Ella McVittie, then got a pair of big plays from middle blocker Logan Remington to close with an 8-2 run.
SFU dominated the second set with a .250 to -.050 hitting advantage, before the Seawolves answered back.
A Gabriel kill gave UAA its largest lead of the third set at 16-9, although the Red Leafs surged to tie it at 18, 19 and 20. Consecutive SFU errors reopened the door for the Seawolves at that stage, and UAA got kills from Ivakina and senior middle blocker
Bella Burney to finish the frame.
The teams traded points for the first 24 rallies of set four, before the Red Leafs finally grabbed the lead for good on a kill by Jayden Armstrong. Two straight Seawolf attack errors resulted in a 21-15 deficit and a service error gave SFU six chances at match point, leading 24-18. UAA responded with the next five points, getting an ace from
Elena Hansen and a kill from Ivakina to draw within 24-23, but the Red Leafs pulled out a long rally to secure the win.
Ivakina's double-double was her fifth this season and 20th of her career, while UAA also got six kills and four blocks from junior
Martina Riba. Trotter finished with 24 assists, five kills and 11 digs, and libero
Mary Nahinu made a team-high 12 digs.
The match marked Simon Fraser's final volleyball visit to Alaska as an NCAA and GNAC member, with plans to return to the Canadian collegiate association next school year.
The Seawolves return to action Thursday at 7 p.m. when they visit rival Alaska Fairbanks at the Patty Center. Find links to live video and stats at GoSeawolves.com.
