UAA newcomer Kyana Gabriel bumped up the jam in Thursday’s win. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
As the last piece added to the UAA volleyball team’s recruiting class, Kyana Gabriel was late to join the Seawolves.
But on Thursday she was right on time, boosting Anchorage when it needed a lift.
Gabriel slammed 11 of her 14 kills in a pivotal second set and then ended the match with a blast off the block, capping the Seawolves’ come-from-behind victory over Texas Woman’s University at the Alaska Airlines Center.
A crowd of nearly 1,000 — including a dozen decked out in full hockey gear — watched UAA pull out a 19-25, 25-12, 25-13, 25-21 victory in its home opener on Day 1 of the three-day Seawolf Invitational.
College Volleyball
Seawolf Invitational
At Alaska Airlines Center
Thursday
Lenoir-Rhyne 3, TWU 1
UAF 3, Chico State 0
UAA 3, TWU 1
Friday
10:30am Chico State vs. Lenoir-Rhyne
3:00pm UAF vs. TWU
7:30pm Lenoir-Rhyne vs. UAA
Saturday
9:00am Chico State vs. TWU
1:00pm Lenoir-Rhyne vs. UAF
5:00pm Chico State vs. UAA
Senior Lee Ivakina led the Seawolves with 16 kills, while Bella Burney added kills and hit a match-high .500 as the winners carved up the TWU defense with a .258 attack percentage.
Gabriel hit .273 and chipped in a match-high 19 digs to complete her double-double. The 5-foot-10 outside hitter from Hilo, Hawaii, added a solo block, two aces and an assist.
Ivakina also registered a double-double (18 digs) along with a solo block and three assists for the Seawolves (3-2), who have won three in a row entering Day 2 of the tournament.
“It’s good to get that first home win out of the way as we’ll have to refocus for a very talented Lenoir-Rhyne team (Friday) night,” UAA coach Morgan Hooe said in a statement.
Former UAA All-American and assistant coach Morgan Hooe of Anchorage is now calling the shots. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
TWU came out swinging in the first set, hitting .419 and claiming a 25-19 triumph. Mary Grace King had seven of her 11 kills in the opening set as the Pioneers pulled away at the end thanks to a 9-4 run.
Trinity Blackwood also got off to a fast start for the Lone Star Conference squad. The 6-foot-4 senior had a solo block to give her team a 17-13 lead and added a kill to make it 18-14.
“We let them be the aggressor in the first set, but we made great adjustments and really came out firing on all cylinders in the second,” Hooe said.
The Seawolves seized a 16-1 lead on a kill by Martina Riba (8 kills, 3 aces, 3 block assists) and 18-4 on a kill by Gabriel, on their way to tying the match.
TWU’s Trinity Blackwood (23) and the Pioneers celebrate after a winning rally. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Leading 9-7 in the third, back-to-back kills from Gabriel and Bella Burney would help UAA get some distance, while Ivakina picked up seven of her kills in that set.
The fourth set was the most competitive, featuring 13 ties and eight lead changes before UAA snapped a 17-17 deadlock. Riba had two kills during the tiebreaking 4-0 run, and Gabriel finished it off on a feed from Trotter on match point.
UAA also got 44 assists and 19 digs from senior setter Hannah Trotter as she came just one dig and four assists shy of her career bests in those categories.
TWU 25 12 13 21
UAA 19 25 25 25
Attack percentage – TWU .115, UAA .258. Points – TWU 48, UAA 73. Kills – TWU 35, UAA 60. Aces – TWU 4, UAA 6. Blocks – TWU 9, UAA 7. Assists – TWU 33, UAA 58. Digs – TWU 65, UAA 91.
Members of the UAA hockey team form a human pyramid. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
UAF 3, Chico State 0
The Nanooks teed off on the Californians, hitting .317 and getting a dozen kills from red-hot Haylee Lyons in the sweep.
Lyons, the reigning MVP of last week’s Alaska/Hawaii Challenge, hit .435 on 12-of-23 hitting with two errors. Teammate Cori Leavitt slammed nine kills and furnished a .474 attack percentage.
Cynphany Henderson orchestrated the offense with 18 assists, while All-GNAC libero added 19 digs, six assists and two aces.
Emma Freeman chipped in with six kills, Kellan Flynn had 11 digs and Peri Hoshock and Leavitt each had five block assists.
Chico State’s Jillian Davis came to play, blasting eight kills on 15 attempts, and added 10 digs to just miss a double-double.
Chico State 20 13 14
UAF 25 25 25
Attack percentage – Chico State .033, UAF .317. Points – Chico State 28, UAF 60. Kills – Chico State 22, UAF 40. Aces – Chico State 5, UAF 13. Blocks – TWU 1, UAF 7. Assists – Chico State 21, UAF 36. Digs – Chico State 41, UAF 46.
Lenoir-Rhyne 3, TWU 1
Morgan Blankenship scored the go-ahead kill twice late in the second set, keying a 29-27 triumph that fueled a four-set victory over Texas Woman’s University.
Lenoir-Rhyne, of Hickory, N.C., dropped the first set and were at risk of falling into a two-set hole with the score tied 26-26 before Blankenship got hot.
Emmaleigh Allen led the Bears with 13 kills and Averie Dale added 11, while Blankenship finished with six. Avery Meide had 29 digs.
TWU’s Mary Grace King led all hitters with 16 kills. Trinity Blackwood added 10 kills and Alyssa Rojo had 26 digs.
TWU 25 27 24 18
Lenoir-Rhyne 14 29 26 15
Attack percentage – TWU .112, Lenoir-Rhyne .182. Points – TWU 66, Lenoir-Rhyne 61. Kills – TWU 51, Lenoir-Rhyne 46. Aces – TWU 7, Lenoir-Rhyne 4. Blocks – TWU 8, Lenoir-Rhyne 11. Assists – TWU 48, Lenoir-Rhyne 40. Digs – TWU 84, Lenoir-Rhyne 90.
