UAF’s Ainsley Smith of North Pole ranks 45th nationally with 9.79 assists per set. Photo by Miles Jordan
It was fitting North Pole’s Ainsley Smith assisted on the final point of the UAF volleyball team’s win over Western Washington because her fingerprints we all over the historic achievement.
The Nanooks scored their first victory in Bellingham, Washington, after prevailing in a five-set marathon keyed by the senior setter’s career-high 56 assists.
The 18-25, 25-15, 25-21, 22-25, 15-13 win snapped UAF’s 18-match losing streak at Carver Gym dating back to 2006.
Smith was clutch at crunch time as she had a hand in nine of the team’s 15 points in the fifth set on eight assists and one kill.
She assisted on 56 of the UAF’s 61 kills in the match.
Smith had twice before eclipsed the 50-assist benchmark with 53 in 2023 against Hawaii Hilo and 51 earlier this season against Azusa Pacific.
Smith leads the GNAC and ranks 45th in all of NCAA Division II with 9.79 assists per set.
The Nanooks are 9-1 in their last 10 matches and are the hottest team in the GNAC.
