The UAA volleyball team needed only 82 minutes Saturday to beat Cal Poly Pomona and complete an undefeated run in the SpringHill Suites Invitational.
Led by near-perfect hitting by senior Julia Mackey and a double-double from Katelynn Zanders, the Seawolves won 25-16, 25-18, 25-14 to cruise to the championship. They posted a 4-0 record, winning three matches in three sets and the other in four, to dominate the season-opening tournament at the Alaska Airlines Center.
On their way to the championship, the Seawolves knocked off two nationally ranked opponents -- Nebraska Kearney, which came to town ranked fifth in Division II, and Rockhurst, which is ranked 23rd.
Mackey was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, and Zanders and setter Morgan Hooe earned spots on the seven-player all-tournament team.
All three were in fine form Saturday nigh in front of a crowd of 1,023.
Mackey, a senior outside hitter from Fairbanks, was particularly impressive. She made 20 attack attempts, put down 12 of them for kills and committed no errors.
Her precision helped UAA hit .350 as a team, a showing that got a boost from junior middle hitter Erin Braun, who hit .538 -- seven kills and no errors on 13 attack attempts.
Zanders, a senior outside hitter from South High, was good for 11 kills and 12 digs, and Hooe, a junior from South, put up 37 assists while coming up with nine digs. Hooe had a hand in three of UAA's seven blocks, and senior middle hitter Caitlin Hanson provided two solo blocks and three block assists.
Freshmen Leah Swiss (nine kills, seven digs, two aces) and Kyla Militante-Amber (match-high 16 digs) also made major contributions for the Seawolves, who used just nine players.
Second place went to Rockhurt, which earned two wins Saturday to finish 3-1. The Hawks beat Kearney 28-26, 25-21, 25-20 and stopped Azusa Pacific 25-17, 25-20-25-18.
Kearney, which beat Pomona 23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-19 in its other match Saturday, finished 2-2. Pomona was 1-3 and Azusa Pacific 0-4.
SpringHill Suites Invitational
All-Tournament Team
Morgan Rietzke, Rockhurst
Zoe Herrera, Cal Poly Pomona
Katelynn Zanders, UAA
Preecy Seever, Rockhurst
Annie Wolfe, Nebraska Kearney
Whitney Kostal, Rockhurst
Morgan Hooe, UAA
Most Outstanding Player – Julia Mackey, UAA
?Saturday's results
Rockhurst def. Azusa Pacific 25-17, 25-20-25-18.
Kearney def. Pomona 23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-19
Rockhurst def. Kearney 28-26, 25-21, 25-20
UAA def. Pomona 25-16, 25-18, 25-14