UAA leads the all-time series 80-41, but UAF has won the last four meetings going into their matchup in the NCAA Tournament. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
The UAA and UAF volleyball teams have faced off 121 times since 1984, but they’ve never played in the NCAA Tournament.
That’ll change next month.
The storied rivalry will enter new territory after postseason pairings announced Monday pitted the two Alaska schools against each in the first round of the three-day West Region Championships, starting Dec. 4 in San Diego.
Top-seeded Point Loma will host the eight-team regional, with the winner advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals. UAA – despite going 2-0 last week – dropped from No. 2 in the final regional poll to a fourth seed in the big dance and will face the fifth-seeded Nanooks, although the Seawolves did make their first appearance of the season in the AVCA Top 25 at No. 24.
UAF (23-5) is ranked No. 16 and has been in the national rankings for months and swept UAA (23-5) in the regular season. Both teams finished 14-4 in the GNAC as part of a four-way tie for a share of the league title.
UAA and UAF do have a postseason history dating back to former conference tournaments they were in before joining the GNAC in 2001. In 1987, the Seawolves won 3-1 in the Continental Divide. In 1992 and 1993, UAA won 3-1 in the Pac West.
Entering the NCAA Tournament, UAA has won six in a row and nine of its last 10, while UAF has won three straight and eight of 10.
Last season, the UAA-UAF rivalry saw the teams set the NCAA Division II volleyball regular-season attendance record of 4,388 at the Alaska Airlines Center. This season, the rivalry is going national again.
