BURNABY, B.C. – Sophomore outside hitter
Jocelyn Sherman hit a career-high seven aces, and sophomore opposite
Brooke Dexter recorded 10 kills but it wasn't enough as the Simon Fraser volleyball team lost in four sets at Alaska Thursday in Fairbanks. The host Nanooks took the Great Northwest Athletic Conference match by scores of 24-26, 25-14, 25-16, and 26-24.
Sophomore setter
Serena Gentile had 18 assists and 10 digs for the Red Leafs (5-8, 2-2 GNAC), while junior middle
Kalyn Hartmann recorded nine kills, a solo block, and four block assists. Freshman libero
Ava Khademi led SFU with 19 digs.
Kristina Head totaled 13 kills for Alaska (13-4, 3-2 GNAC), which got 22 assists from Ainsley Smith and 28 digs from Jessa Long.
The opening set featured some wild momentum swings. Holding a two-point lead, the Red Leafs reeled off a 7-1 run – which included kills from Gentile, Sherman, and Hartmann as well as a Sherman ace – to go ahead 22-14. However, the hosts replied with a 10-1 surge to reach set point at 24-23. But thanks to a block from Gentile and sophomore middle
Abby Willett, a Dexter kill, and a Gentile service ace, SFU took the set win 26-24.
Abby Willett. Photo by Alaska Athletics
Alaska hit .321 and .225, respectively, to win the second and third sets.
The fourth set was tied on 11 different occasions. The score was 17-all before Sherman provided a kill and a solo block as part of a 4-0 SFU run. The Nanooks then rallied to take a 24-22 lead. A Sherman block and a kill from sophomore outside hitter
Hanna Kolof tied the game. Alaska clinched the set and match victory with a kill and a service ace on the next two plays.
The Nanooks hit .156 for the contest, while SFU had a .052 attacking percentage. The teams had 11 blocks each.
The Red Leafs will look to rebound Saturday night when it takes on 19th-ranked Alaska Anchorage. The next SFU home appearance will be on Sept. 29 against Northwest Nazarene (Idaho).
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