Volleyball opens season this weekend with Nanook Classic

August 30, 2012

Marmian Grimes

 

Jamie Foland
474-6807

The University of Alaska Fairbanks women's volleyball team officially opens regular-season play this weekend when it hosts the 2012 Flint Hills Resources Nanook Classic. The two-day, six-match event will also feature Cal State East Bay, Findlay and Notre Dame de Namur.

The tournament gets underway Friday evening with a pair of matchups. At 5 p.m., Notre Dame de Namur takes on Cal State East Bay, followed by the host Nanooks battling Findlay at 7 p.m.

Four games are on Saturday's slate, beginning with East Bay and Findlay at 11 a.m., while Alaska hosts NDNU at 1 p.m. The night session begins at 5 p.m. with Findlay and Notre Dame de Namur and the final match of the weekend will have Alaska taking on CSUEB.

“We're all definitely excited,” head coach Phil Shoemaker said. “We've put in a lot of good work, we still have a lot to improve on but we're pleased with the progress we've made so far. It's definitely time we test ourselves against quality competition.”

The Nanooks return four starters from last year's 2-24 squad. Senior libero Allison Oddy and junior outside hitter Keri Knight are the top returners back and were both captains for the upcoming season.

Oddy, who was named the team's Most Valuable Player in 2011, led the Nanooks with 378 digs and ranked sixth in the GNAC with 4.45 digs per set. She matched her career-best total of 34 digs last October and had five matches with 25 or more digs. The social work major was named to the GNAC All-Academic Team following the year. She has 867 digs through three seasons with the Nanooks, a number that already ranks ninth all-time in program history.

Knight tied for a team-best 214 kills and led the squad with 2.33 kills per set a year ago. The team's recipient of the Unsung Hero Award, she also ranked second with a .124 hitting percentage. Knight tallied nine double-digit kill matches, including a career-high 15 last October. She joined Oddy on the GNAC All-Academic Team following the season.

Other key returners are senior outside hitter Reilly Stevens and sophomore middle blocker Morgan Tebbs. Three redshirts also return in middle blocker Britt Glaeser, liberoKylie Dickerson and libero Samantha Hesterman.

Six true freshmen also join the new-look program as setter Jordan Ferland, outside hitter Sam Harthun, setter Katlyn Mataya, middle blocker Megan Morrison, outside hitterIxchelle Oleson and setter Meagan Olsen will begin their collegiate careers this weekend.

Looking at this week's opponents, Cal State East Bay is looking to build on a 16-11 record from a season ago. The Pioneers, who were selected sixth in the California Collegiate Athletic Association poll, are led by 17th-year head coach Jim Spagle.

Findlay is coming off a 15-12 season and was picked ninth in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference preseason poll. The Oilers are led by 15th-year head coach Wick Colchagoff.

Notre Dame de Namur will look to improve this year after going 5-24 a year ago. Third-year head coach and alumnus Nicole Annaloro lead the Argonauts, who were picked 11th in the Pacific West Conference.

“I'm quite certain all three are going to be good opponents for us,” Shoemaker said. “Findlay and East Bay in particular have traditions of success and I know they're counting on that again and Notre Dame is just another good team from another good conference. Everybody's unbeaten right now and there's a lot of anticipation on both sides of the net, all kinds of things to discover and improve upon.”

Live Stats and live video will be available for all six contests this weekend.

Friday, August 31
Notre Dame de Namur vs. Cal State East Bay	5 p.m.
Findlay at Alaska	7 p.m.
Saturday, September 1
Cal State East Bay vs. Findlay	11 a.m.
Notre Dame de Namur at Alaska	1 p.m.
Findlay vs. Notre Dame de Namur	5 p.m.
Cal State East Bay at Alaska	7 p.m.