Nov. 2, 2007

Box Score

MONMOTH, OR- The Alaska Nanooks looked to get off to a great start Thursday night against the second place University of Western Oregon Wolves.

However, the Wolves were not willing to roll over for Alaska and despite dropping the first game, WOU come back to win the match in four games (26-30, 30-19, 30-22, 30-25).

For the second consecutive match the Nanooks showed they could play tough against a top rank conference team, taking the first game from the Wolves. After getting their first sideout, senior Jenna Jones and junior Sedra Zlock served the Nanooks to a 7-3 lead early in the game. WOU knotted the score at 13, but Alaska stepped up when sophomore Jessica Hill helped the Nanooks to 18-14 and the Blue and Gold never looked back as they came away with a 30-26 triumph.

Alaska came out strong in the second game to open the second stanza with a 4-1 lead, however, the Wolves fed on the Nanooks unforced errors to gain the lead at 6-5 and continued to widen the gap, finally taking the set 30-19.

The Wolves continued to roll with their momentum, stringing spurts of points together throughout the game to hold Alaska at bay. Unable to find their groove in the third game, the Nanooks were outhit .163 to .022, committing 10 of their 32 hitting errors.

Despite stepping up their attacking in the fourth set, WOU also made offensive adjustments that proved favorable. The Wolves flexed their muscles as they never allowed the Nanooks to lead, and closed out the match with a 30-25 victory.

Alaska was led by sophomore outside hitter Megan Thigpen, who tallied a double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs. Rookie middle hitter Erica Gage recorded a match-high nine blocks on the night, while senior Jessica King and sophomore Jessica Hill also had 10 kills apiece.

The Wolves also had three players with double-figure kills, two of which registered double-doubles. WOU was led by Kayla Mainer with 18 digs and 14 kills, while Haley Kostrba notched 12 kills and 12 digs and Stacey Benett also chipped in 10 kills. Wolves' libero Claire Carpenter led the match from the backcourt with 27 digs.

Alaska has two games remaining in its 2007 season, heading to Lacey, Washington on Saturday for a tilt with Saint Martin's. The Nanooks then conclude their schedule with a trip south to rival Anchorage on Nov. 10.