FAIRBANKS, Alaska – The Seattle Pacific Falcons had enough to come back from two sets down and force a fifth.
 
But not quite enough to pull out the win.
 
Alaska Fairbanks went on an 9-0 scoring run early in the deciding set on Saturday afternoon, and that was enough for them to secure a 3-2 victory against the Falcons in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball match.
 
Scores in The Patty Center were 25-23, 25-22, 19-25, 19-25, 15-8.
 
SPU (8-11, 6-5 GNAC) thus came up short in both matches on its Alaska road trip, having dropped a 3-0 decision at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday night.
 
 

Ashley Antoniak and Erin Smith had 12 kills apiece for the Falcons, with Smith's total being a career high. Hannah Hair came up with six blocks, including a career-high five solo.
 
Seattle Pacific got the first point of Set 5 on a kill by Allison Wilks. But that was when the Nanooks (15-8, 5-6 GNAC) started their run of nine straight points. That made it 9-1.
 
The Falcons eventually got within five points on three occasions, the last time at 12-7. But with the deciding set just going to 15 points, that was too large of a deficit to overcome.
 
SPU got off to a fast start in the opening set, scoring the first five points of the match. The lead eventually grew to as many as eight at 14-6 and then 15-7.
 
But Fairbanks gradually climbed back in. The Falcons were still in front by two at 20-18, then 21-19, 22-20 and 23-21. UAF came up with the final four points of the set.
 
The second set went back and forth throughout, with 15 ties and 12 lead changes. The Nanooks snapped a 21-21 tie with two straight points, saw SPU get back within one at 23-22, then put the final two on the board.
 
Seattle Pacific led nearly all the way in Set 3 to keep the match going. Then, with Set 4 tied at 18-18, the Falcons scored seven of the final eight points, including the last four to force the deciding fifth.
 
Saturday's match was the fourth time this season SPU came back after dropping the first two sets. It pulled out the win against Biola in preseason play, but fell short against Simon Fraser, Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
-- Hannah Hair's previous high for solo blocks was two, which she achieved twice. The last time was Sept. 18, 2021 at home against Central Washington.
-- SPU hit .127 against Fairbanks (51 kills-30 errors-166 attacks). The Nanooks hit .165 (60-34-168).
-- Emily Tulino and Lindsey Lambert each had 21 assists. Tulino's total puts her within five of reaching 900 for her career.
-- Tulino and Ashley Antoniak both double-doubled. Tulino had 11 digs to go along with her 21 assists. Antoniak had 12 digs to match her 12 kills. Tulino has seven for the year and 10 for her career. Antoniak's was her third of the season and fourth of her career.
 
UP NEXT
The Falcons return home for a pair of matches this coming week. Central Washington comes to Brougham Pavilion on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. Next Saturday, Northwest Nazarene is in town, with the first serve at 2:00 p.m.
 
 
NCAA WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022
The Patty Center / Fairbanks, Alaska
 
Alaska Fairbanks 3, Seattle Pacific 2
 
Game scores – 25-23, 25-22, 19-25, 19-25, 15-8.
 
Service aces – SPU 8 (Perry 3), UAF 9 (White 5).
Kills – SPU 51 (Antoniak 12, Smith 12), UAF 60 (Nielson 15).
Assists – SPU 49 (Lambert 21, Tulino 21), UAF 57 (Smith 27).
Digs – SPU 69 (Cunningham 20), UAF 72 (Long 26).
Block assists / solo – SPU 6 / 9 solo (Hair 1 / 5 solo), UAF 12 / 5 solo (Jackson 4 / 1 solo).
Hitting (kills-errors-attacks) – SPU 50-30-166—127 (Pruden 8-2-22—273), UAF 60-34-168—155 (Guc 11-4-24—292).
Attendance – 402.
 
 
Records
Seattle Pacific 8-11, 6-5 GNAC.
Alaska Fairbanks 15-8, 5-6 GNAC.
 
Next match
Central Washington at Seattle Pacific
Thursday, Oct. 20     7:00 p.m.
Brougham Pavilion / Seattle, Wash.