Sept. 23, 2010

Box Score

FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Outside hitters Marlayna Geary (So., Tacoma/Bellarmine Prep) and Kathryn Mertens (Sr., Olympia) combined for 26 kills and middle blocker Bailey Jones (So., Mukilteo/Kamiak) had a match-high six blocks as nationally ranked Western Washington University defeated University of Alaska Fairbanks, 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-19, in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match Thursday at Patty Center.

The Vikings, ranked No.15 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association/NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll, improved to 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the GNAC with their fifth straight triumph.

Alaska Fairbanks fell to 4-6 overall and 2-2 league. The Nanooks were led by senior outside hitter Tereza Bendlova from Prague, Czech Republic, who had a match-high 19 kills and just four errors in 42 attempts for a .357 attack percentage. Bendlova is a transfer from NCAA I South Alabama where she lettered three seasons.

Geary had 15 kills and Mertens 11 with a .304 hitting percentage. Emily Jepsen (Jr., Kennewick/Kamiakin) added nine kills and Megan Amundson (Sr., Stanwood) eight.

Libero Allison Gotz had a match-high 15 digs and setter Kari Rice (Sr., Toppenish/Eisenhower) added 42 assists, seven digs, four blocks, four kills and three service aces.

"I thought our team did a good job of being patient and taking control of our side of the net," said Western coach Diane Flick. "When we did that we won the long rallies."

"Again, we had a good balanced attack, and another key was that we did a really good job from our service line with 10 aces."

Western used a 6-1 run to lead 16-9 in the first set, only to have the Nanooks score 16 of the last 21 points, finishing with five straight after trailing 21-20. UAF hit .229 to the Vikings .028.

There were 11 ties to begin set two before Western scored six straight points to lead 21-14. Five of the Vikings' last nine points were kills by Geary, the set winner coming on a service ace by Gotz.

Ahead by just one, 11-10, in set three, Western scored seven of the next eight points to close with a 14-7 run and held UAF to a minus-.029 hitting percentage.

The fourth set opened had 11 ties before the Vikings scored five straight points for a 19-14 lead. That helped them end the set and match with an 11-5 run.

Western next travels to meet defending GNAC champion Alaska Anchorage on Saturday (7 p.m. AT).

Nanooks bested by No. 15 Western Washington

by Renee Thony/rthony@newsminer.com Fairbanks Daily News Miner

FAIRBANKS -- The night looked promising for the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team after they knocked around No. 15 Western Washington in the first set of Thursday night's Great Northwest Athletic Conference match, but the Vikings proved their rank and went on to beat the Nanooks in four sets (25-21, 22-25, 17-25, 19-25).

The Nanooks rallied back in the first set after being down 16-9. Big blocking and strong serves helped Alaska cut the Vikings' lead to 17-16 and eventually tie the game at 20. Keeping with the theme of solid net defense, Alaska's middle blocker Marybeth Wikander won the set for the Nanooks on a block kill.

In set two, the Nanooks rallied again, from a deficit of 21-14. Another big block, this time from Alaska's outside hitter Tereza Bendlova, put the Nanooks within one (23-22). An ace serve from Western Washington's libero Allison Gotz pushed the Vikings over the Nanooks, tying the match at 1-1.

"Our critical errors. That was the difference," Nanooks head coach Phil Shoemaker said after the match about the difference between Alaska's strong first set and the final three. "The mark of a great team is their ability to turn it on you, and Western is a great team. They identified our weaknesses and exploited them."

The Nanooks were unable to gain any momentum in the final two sets as serving and block coverage -- what had put them ahead earlier in the evening -- weakened.

"They had more good swings than us down the stretch," Shoemaker said. "They were excellent at mixing shots and attacking Mandy (Grierson, setter) and keeping her off balance. We needed to find ways to counterattack, and we didn't."

Grierson finished the match with 40 of the Nakooks' 46 assists.

"We didn't adjust well after the first game," Grierson said after the match. "They did, and we didn't."

Bendlova continued to lead the offensive attack for the Nanooks, finishing with 19 kills on 42 attacks (.357).

Libero Jordyn Montgomery dug 13 balls, and defensive specialist Jennifer Holland chipped in 11 digs of her own.

As a team, Alaska recorded nine blocks. Senior middle blocker Erica Gage had five block assists to lead the Nanooks.

"I thought our blocking was good tonight," Shoemaker said. "We have been improving our blocking a lot, and overall, our defense, too."

Outside hitters Marlayna Geary and Kathryn Mertens led the Vikings with 15 and 11 kills, respectively. Senior setter Kari Rice finished with 42 of the team's 51 assists and served up three aces for the Vikings, who advance to 5-0 GNAC, 8-1 overall.

Gotz led the team with 15 digs, and outside hitter Jordyn Bailey recorded six block assists for the Vikings, who finished with 10 total team blocks.

The Nanooks, now 2-2 GNAC, 4-6 overall, take on Simon Fraser University in a 7 p.m. conference game Saturday.

"We can't take Simon Fraser lightly," Shoemaker said of the Clan who have yet to win a conference match. "Those are the kinds of games that scare me most."

Although a .500 record is what some have considered surprisingly positive for the Nanooks, Shoemaker said his team is not happy about the record.

"We want to be 4-0," he said. "We have the talent and ability to beat teams like Western Washington. We learned a lesson and will grow from this.

"Are we happy about being 2-2? No. Does it matter? No. We're going to focus on our next game."