Unalaska volleyball player Vaiula Leaoa was selected as our Alaska Athlete of the Week after hammering 19 kills to lead the Raiders to a three-set sweep of Susitna Valley in the Class 2A title match of the state volleyball tournament.
Leaoa – a UAA commit – led the Raiders to a 22-0 season and second straight championship.
When match point arrived, the Senior phenom delivered the final spike, ending a decorated high school career with Unalaska High School on a 39-game win streak.
Leaoa was presented the tournament’s Outstanding Hitter award.
Also receiving votes:
- Maxime Germain – The Anchorage biathlete had to top-15 World Cup biathlon results in Sweden. The results, both career-bests, make the West High graduate a top contender to make the U.S. Olympic team.
- Adarra Hagelund – The Soldotna athlete won her season-opener in the high jump with an NAIA-leading clearance at the Mike Thorson Classic. The Dickinson State senior cleared 5 feet, 7.75 inches on her third attempt, marking her best opener ever.
- Ruthy Hebard – The Fairbanks pro hoops player sparkled in her Chinese League debut, scoring 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go with 18 rebounds in Shanghai’s 101-71 win over Zhejiang.
- Claire Nelson – The runner from Eagle River ran the California International Marathon in 2 hours, 43 minutes and 51 seconds to finish third in her age group and 101st for women. Nelson also became the fifth-fastest marathoner in Alaska history,
- Allie Ostrander – The runner from Soldotna ran to an eighth place showing at the U.S. Cross Country Championships in Portland, covering the 10-kilometer course in 34 minutes, 34.4 seconds. She finished nine seconds shy of qualifying for Team USA.
- Zane Parrish – The West High junior goaltender turned in back-to-back 26-save performances in the Eagles’ two wins last week – a 3-1 win at Wasilla and a 1-0 Cook Inlet Conference shutout of Chugiak at Ben Boeke Arena.
- Brian Scott – The UAF volleyball coach led the Nanooks to a school-record 24 wins and the program’s first-ever victory at the NCAA Tournament after sweeping UAA in the first round. The Nanooks lost to Point Loma in the West Region semifinals.
The Alaska Athlete of the Week is selected by a panel each Monday. If you have an athlete of the week recommendation you can email it to info@alaskasportshall.org.
