UAA Athletics

UAA volleyball team loses twice in Fairbanks

The UAA volleyball team ran into trouble twice Friday at the Nanook Classic in Fairbanks.

The Seawolves lost both of their matches at the Patty Center, losing in five sets to Colorado State-Pueblo in the morning and in three sets to Cal State Los Angeles in the afternoon.

The setbacks drop the Seawolves to 7-4 heading into their final tournament match Saturday at 5 p.m. against Drury University of Missouri.

“Those were a disappointing pair of losses,” UAA coach Chris Green said in a press release from the school. “We did not serve or pass well enough all day. We will need to do much better to have a chance against a very good Drury team tomorrow.”

CSU-Pueblo beat the Seawolves 17-25, 25-21, 19-25, 28-26, 15-9 in Friday’s first match of the day.

UAA had two chances to win it in the fourth set, serving for match point at 24-23 and again at 25-24. The Seawolves were foiled first by a kill from Pueblo’s Megan Mattingly and then by an attack error by UAA junior Eve Stephens.

Stephens finished with 19 kills, 16 digs and five block assists to lead UAA. Junior Talia Leauanae made a match-high 21 digs to go with three aces, sophomore Lisa Jaunet added 11 kills, and senior Vera Pluharova had six kills, one solo block and five block assists.

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Mattingly finished with 12 kills and 12 digs for Pueblo.

Cal State LA swept UAA 25-19, 25-19, 28-26 later in the day, powered by a .353 attack percentage and a 50-35 edge in digs. Stephens had seven kills, seven digs and four block assists, and junior Akor Maywin slammed a career-high 10 kills.

UAA opened the tournament Thursday with a three-set win over Ursuline College of Ohio.

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