Matches like Saturday are why Kadyn Osborne came home.

The Anchorage native delivered a flawless effort Saturday to lift the UAA volleyball team to a three-set sweep of North Carolina-Pembroke at the Denali State Bank Ice Block Classic in Fairbanks.

Playing the role of hometown hero is a dream for local players, and Osborne made it come to life in a 25-12, 25-16, 25-11 victory that secured the Seawolves’ fourth straight win as they enter GNAC play next week.

The former Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year out of Dimond High bagged 16 assists, two kills on two attacks, five digs, a career-high six aces and no errors of any kind.

She was two aces shy of the school record since the 25-point rally scoring era started in 2008, and had the match gone longer she would have likely broken it. As it was, her total was tied for the most among local Seawolves.

MOST ACES
8 – Nicole Blue
7 – Ellen Floyd
6 – Kadyn Osborne (Dimond)
6 – Reilly Plumhoff (Dimond)
6 – Eve Stephens (Colony)
6 – Sydney Johnson
6 – Leah Swiss (Dimond)
6 – Maggie Schleuter

Osborne, a 5-foot-10 senior setter, is averaging 4.9 assists and a career-best 1.8 digs per set in 10 matches. Those are two areas of her game that are strong and come as no surprise, but her serving prowess is another matter.

After registering six aces in 32 matches all last season, Osborne matched that total on Saturday alone. She now has 19 aces on the season.

Katie Birtcil-Tipton had eight kills and 13 digs as the Seawolves got kills from all nine players on their way to a season-best .364 attack percentage.

“It was a great finish to a tough preseason schedule,” UAA coach Stacie Meisner said in a press release. “We’ve made a lot of strides the last three weeks and grown as a team. We’re excited to get started and see what we can do in GNAC play.”

UAA (6-4) opens the conference season Thursday against Simon Fraser, which features two-time All-GNAC first team hitter Brooke Dexter of Anchorage. The former West High star surpassed 1,000 career kills over the weekend.