Volleyball downs NDNU 3-1 in Nanook Classic

September 5, 2012

Ixchelle Oleson provided a career-high 13 kills in just her second collegiate game.

Freshmen outside hitters Ixchelle Oleson and Sam Harthun each tallied double-figure kills to lead the Alaska women's volleyball team to a 3-1 victory against Notre Dame de Namur at the 2012 Flint Hills Resources Nanook Classic on Saturday afternoon at the Patty Center.

The Nanooks (2-0) defeated the Argonauts (0-2) by set scores of 25-9, 24-26, 25-15 and 25-15 and that gives the host the opportunity to win their own tournament for the first time in 12 years. The 'Nooks take on Cal State East Bay (1-1) tonight at 7 p.m., in the final match of the Nanook Classic. This morning, East Bay fell 3-0 (23-25, 16-25, 19-25) to Findlay (1-1).

Oleson finished with a match-high 13 kills with only one error and hit an exceptional .632 (13-1-19) while Harthun turned in 11 kills after hitting .391 (11-2-23) to go with her 12 digs. Senior outside hitter Reilly Stevens also had eight kills with a hitting percentage of .263 (8-3-19) and four blocks in the winning effort. Freshmen setter Katlyn Mataya had another 42-set performance for Alaska while senior libero Allison Oddy had 15 digs.

As a team Alaska hit .319 (52-15-116) after making only 15 errors as opposed to last night's 28 versus Findlay. It held NDNU to .084 hitting (34-24-119) and forced the visitors into 24 errors. The Nanooks held the blocks advantage 6-5 and produced nine service aces, to the Argos' two.

The Argonauts were led by Brooke DeMiguel, who had a team-best 10 kills while Kawai Robins-Hardy and Jennifer Jasper combined for 15 terminations, respectively. Other leaders for Notre Dame were Jacqueline Harper with 26 assists and Sarah Rodriguez with 13 digs.

The Nanooks opened the match on a 9-2 run to take control early. The Argos got to within six at 10-4 but it would never get any tighter as the 'Nooks took their first double-digit advantage at 16-6. They used a strong .360 hitting percentage to win the set comfortably, 25-9.

Notre Dame fought back in the second, jumping out to an 8-4 lead in the second. Alaska hung around but couldn't close the gap. Leading 15-12, NDNU scored five of seven to hold a 20-14 lead. The Nanooks came right back with a string of six points to knot it up at 20. Alaska led 23-21 and had set point at 24-23, but the visitors used a pair of kills and an Alaska error to rally for a 26-24 win.

The Nanooks took control of the third after only trailing after the first point. They opened up a 7-3 lead and the Argos had no answer for the hosts, who hit an incredible .500 with 14 kills and 1 error in the third. NDNU had the deficit as close as 13-9, but eight of the next 10 points went Alaska's way and it would go on to take the 2-1 match lead with a 25-15 victory.

The offense kept rolling in the fourth as Alaska hit .333, making only four errors, and limiting Notre Dame a .100 hitting percentage. The set was close, but leading 10-9, the Nanooks surged out to a 15-10 advantage with a 5-1 run. The lead never got closer than four the rest of the way as Alaska shut the door with a 25-15 set win.