ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Combining a team hitting percentage of .330 with 19 blocks on Saturday night at the Alaska Airlines Center, No. 9 University of Alaska Anchorage swept Montana State University Billings 3-0 (25-16, 25-7, 25-19) in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
The efficient Seawolves attack was led by Eve Stephens, who hit .429 on the night with a match-high 13 kills and just one error on her 28 attempts. Lisa Jaunet added 11 kills, while Ellen Floyd spread the offense with 30 assists and Talia Leauanae had 10 digs for the hosts. UAA improved to 21-1 on the season and is now 11-0 in conference play with the victory.
MSUB's offense was limited to a season-low -.012 hitting percentage, as the 'Jackets failed to get any offensive momentum against the powerful UAA block.
Caty Havekost and
Olivia Schwartz led MSUB with four kills apiece, on a night where the team totaled just 17 in the match. Freshman
Alexis King had 11 assists, and
Christine Funk added 13 digs for MSUB, which fell to 7-12 overall and 0-11 in conference play with the defeat.
Kennedy Juranek had nine digs for MSUB, while Schwartz added seven digs which was her career high.
Jahsita Fa'ali'i finished with three kills and three digs, while
Lily Gentz and
Paiten Langston each had a pair of kills.
For the Seawolves, the block was led by Stephens and Leilani Elder, who teamed up for five block assists apiece. Isabel Evans added three block assists, and Floyd finished with a pair while also breaking the GNAC career aces record with five on the night to give her 200 in her career. Floyd also swung flawlessly, with six kills on eight attempts.
THE BUZZ: King was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game.
NEXT UP: The Yellowjackets face Rocky Mountain College on Tuesday night at the Fortin Center, with a break from conference play and a rematch after a 3-0 sweep of the Bears at Alterowitz Gym on Sept. 27. MSUB then jumps back into GNAC play with Northwest Nazarene University on Oct. 20 and Central Washington on Oct. 22 at home.
