UAA outblocked the best blocking team in NCAA Division II and avenged an early-season loss with a five-set victory over No. 25 Central Washington on Thursday at the Alaska Airlines Center.
Junior outside hitter Chrisalyn Johnson supplied a career-high 24 kills, 15 digs, four block assists and provided the final four points for the Seawolves, who won 21-25, 25-15, 28-26, 19-25, 15-11.
UAA recorded 13 team blocks to eight for the Wildcats, which led the nation with 2.95 blocks per set heading into the match.
"We'd played them once and we knew we were going to have to do something different if we wanted to be successful this time," UAA coach Chris Green said in a press release. "I think our hitters did a better job of finding seams and mixing it up – mixing in the tip and mixing in roll shots.
"We outblocked them 13-8, so that was a huge accomplishment for us against a team that came into the match No. 1 in the nation in that category."
The win is the fifth straight for UAA, which improved to 15-7 on the season and 10-3 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The Seawolves moved into a third-place tie in the conference with Central Washington (15-6, 10-3 GNAC).
In the fifth set, the teams were tied 7-7 before UAA took its final lead on a Casey Davenport service ace. Later in the set, Johnson hammered home the match point from the left side for her sixth kill of the set.
The third set was the closest of the night, with six ties, two lead changes and 28 points needed for the UAA win.
The Seawolves trailed at set point before a Johnson kill tied the game at 24-24. The squads went back-and-forth until UAA finally got consecutive points on a Davenport kill and Central Washington error.
Davenport, a freshman setter from Auburn, Washington, registered 50 assists, 29 digs and five kills for UAA.
Junior right side hitter Leah Swiss tallied a double-double with 12 kills and 17 digs, and junior middle blocker Tara Melton contributed 11 kills and seven block assists.
The Wildcats were led by Shelby Mauritson (17 kills, 22 digs), Sabrina Wheelhouse (13 kills) and Kyla Morgan (39 assists).