An up-and-down season for the University of Alaska Fairbanks volleyball team is expected to end on Thursday. The Nanooks will reach the end of their schedule at rival Alaska Anchorage.
The Seawolves swept the ‘Nooks in their first meeting of the season, on Sept. 7 in Fairbanks, but the ‘Nooks boast a winning record since then. Now, the in-state rivals sit tied in the conference standings, so the winner of Thursday’s match will have added incentive to top the other beyond ending the season with positive momentum and bragging rights.
The Nanooks have not beaten UAA since November of 2021 and haven’t defeated them in Anchorage since the delayed 2020-21 season.
But after snapping a four-match skid with a win at Northwest Nazarene on Saturday, UAF has a chance to end its season on a two-match winning streak. It’s been a season of runs for the Nanooks, who got off to a rough start before winning four in a row in September and piecing together another four-game winning streak in October prior to their most recent skid.
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) does not hold a conference tournament for volleyball, so it’s up to the NCAA to select a few of the league’s teams as at-large qualifiers for the Division II women’s volleyball tournament. UAF, at 14-17 overall and tied for seventh in the GNAC standings with a 7-10 league record, will not be among that bunch.
The Nanooks also won’t be able to finish with a winning record, marking the first time since 2020 that UAF will finish below .500 after back-to-back 18-12 seasons.
UAF has three fifth-year seniors on its roster for whom Thursday is expected to be their final collegiate volleyball match — libero Grace Steurer, pin hitter Lily Stewart and outside hitter Reese Rossnagel.
Thursday’s match between the Nanooks and Seawolves will take place at 7 p.m. in the Alaska Airlines Center and will be streamed on UAA’s YouTube channel.
Contact Gavin Struve at gstruve@newsminer.com or 907-459-7544
