Seawolves surge past Nighthawks, keep GNAC race tight

Anchorage (Oct. 18) - Junior outside hitter Lee Ivakina had 12 kills and 17 digs to lead a balanced UAA attack Saturday in a 20-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-15 victory over Northwest Nazarene at the Alaska Airlines Center.

The Seawolves (15-4, 6-3 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) also got 14 kills from senior outside hitter Tia Allen and 10 kills from freshman rightside hitter Emma Beck as they outhit the visitors to .267 to .009 over the final three sets.

With the victory, the Seawolves remain just one match out of first place at the midpoint of the GNAC season, behind four-way co-leaders Western Washington, Simon Fraser, Central Washington and Alaska Fairbanks.

The Nighthawks (4-12, 3-6) were led by 14 kills and 17 digs from Abby Black, but could not capitalize on their momentum from the opening set.

"We weren't sharp in the first, but were more aggressive with our attack and got improved passing and defense the rest of the way," said UAA head coach Stacie Meisner, whose team played in front of a season-high 1,420 fans.

After being outhit .237 to .152 in the opening frame, the Seawolves took early control in the second and led the whole way. Ivakina served one of her three aces to make it 11-3, and Allen ended a brief 3-0 NNU run with a kill for a 16-9 advantage as UAA cruised from there.

Deadlocked at 14-14 in the third, the Seawolves used a Nighthawk service error and consecutive kills from Allen and Ivakina to surge ahead again. Ivakina and Bella Burney combined for a block to make it 23-16, and UAA converted on its third set point when Burney found the back corner for one of her eight kills.

UAA never trailed in the fourth either, scoring the first four points and allowing the visitors from Idaho no closer than 8-6. Ivakina and Burney tallied four kills apiece in the final set as the Seawolves hit a blazing .379 (12-1-29).

A transfer from Navarro (Texas) College, Ivakina had perhaps her best all-around match as a Seawolf, also contributing three block assists, two assists, and three aces, while going 15-of-15 serve-receive.

Senior libero Madison Galloway had 23 digs - giving her 73 over the past three matches - and five assists, and Burney tallied a match-high seven block assists.

Sophomore setter Hannah Trotter sparked the comeback with 34 assists, three block assists and 10 digs, while sophomore middle Martina Riba had six kills and four total blocks.

The Seawolves return to the road next week, facing Saint Martin's on Thursday (6 p.m.) in Lacey, Wash., and Western Oregon on Saturday (noon ADT) in Monmouth, Ore. Find live links (video PPV) for both matches at GoSeawolves.com.