BURNABY, B.C. – The Simon Fraser volleyball team (9-12, 6-6 GNAC) got the job done when it mattered on Saturday afternoon, with strong finishes in all three frames powering a straight-set sweep of the visiting Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks (15-10, 5-8 GNAC).
 
"I thought we did a good job of staying consistent throughout," said SFU head coach Gina Schmidt. "We were able to maintain focus. We may have started a bit slow, but we got a couple of nice points, nice kills, in the first set that got us going. And once we were able to build some momentum, we were able to maintain it."
 
Brooke Dexter again led the offensive attack for the host Red Leafs, putting down a game-high 13 kills while adding an ace and five blocks for good measure. Jocelyn Sherman notched 10 kills of her own for SFU, also picking up an ace and 10 digs. Sophomore blocker Abby Willett was her usual hyper-efficient self, tallying eight kills on a .571 hitting percentage to go along with her five blocks.
 
On the Alaska side, outside hitter Karli Nelson was the offensive focal point, as she knocked down 12 kills, served an ace, and had two block assists to total 14 points for the visitors.
 
After going back and forth in the early part of the opening stanza, SFU broke it open with an electric 6-1 run in the frame's middle stages. Two kills apiece from Willett and Dexter were key as the Red Leafs broke a 12-12 deadlock to surge ahead 18-13. SFU did well to keep the Nanooks at bay late, taking the opening set 25-18 after closing on another 4-1 run.
 

The second set was easily the most tightly contested of the match, with neither side able to create more than a three-point cushion (and that was just once, when Alaska held a 12-9 advantage early). Trading points until the two sides were deadlocked at 20 apiece, SFU's defensive coverage forced a Nanooks attacking error, and Willett followed that up with a kill to put SFU up 22-20.
 
Down 24-22, Nelson kept UAF's hopes alive with a timely kill before Red Leafs blocker Kalyn Hartmann closed out the set with a smash that went off the block and out.
 
SFU rode that momentum and dominated the early portion of the third frame, racing to a 7-2 lead. The Nanooks never closed the gap to less than five points the rest of the way, with SFU opening up a game-high 11-point margin at multiple points of the final stanza, including the final score of 25-14.
 
The Red Leafs will take their show on the road next week, stopping off in Ellensburg to take on the Central Washington Wildcats on Thursday, October 27 at 7 p.m. SFU will then head over to Nampa, Idaho, to face the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks on Saturday, October 29. First serve for that contest will be at 12 noon.

For the latest information on SFU Athletics, visit athletics.sfu.ca. You can also find us on social media at @SFU_Athletics.
 
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