The University of Alaska Fairbanks    

Nanooks target Seawolves

By RICHARD LARSON, Staff Writer

Crystal Wheelock is looking forward to competing against former teammates on the volleyball court this weekend. Dasa Capova is looking forward to the possibility of getting on the court for her first Nanook match.

But this weekend's match against Alaska Anchorage is big for the entire University of Alaska Fairbanks team as the Seawolves (7-3 overall, 1-1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference) invade the Patty Center to face the Nanooks (4-3, 1-1) in the first meeting between the state rivals this season at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Wheelock, who is a graduate of East Anchorage High School, will be across the net from five Anchorage area players. Wheelock, a sophomore Libero for the Nanooks, and Seawolf players Kasey Kuelper, Kirsten Hunley, Starr Burgan and Michelle Garvin all played for the Midnight Sun club team in Anchorage. Another Seawolf, Kalie Davis, played for East High School.

"I played with all those girls in high school so this is a very important match for me," Wheelock said. "I know they have a strong left-handed rightside hitter and their setter is pretty good, too."

Wheelock played as an outside hitter for the Nanooks last season, but has seen most of her playing time as a Libero this year. The Libero is a defensive specialist who can substitute in at any time, but can't attack the ball. The position was new to college volleyball last year when the college game moved to follow international rules.

"I like it a lot," Wheelock said. "There is an emphasis on defense so you have a whole different mental approach. My mentality now is to dig every ball. It's easier to know your responsibilities, but when the ball gets set to me all I can think is `Don't jump and hit, don't jump and hit.'"

It was during the Nanooks early season trip to the Cal Poly Pomona Invitational that Wheelock, a 5-8 sophomore, found out she would be seeing time as a Libero this season.

"On our California trip the day of our first game coach pulled me aside and told me," Wheelock said. "They had told me there were thinking about it before, but there were a few players they were looking at and it took awhile to get everything sorted out."

While Wheelock has had seven matches to get used to playing a new position with the Nanooks, Capova could be seeing her first match action of her UAF career this weekend.

Capova missed the last four weeks with a stress fracture in her foot, but the highly recruited player from Prague in the Czech Republic has been practicing with the Nanooks during the week.

"It is looking like she'll play," UAF coach Phil Shoemaker said. "I'd say there is a pretty good chance we'll use her to some degree. She's a good defensive player and a good server and she has the heart of a lion."

The stress fracture was from an injury that happened earlier in the year and was discovered during the second day of practice for the Nanooks. Capova is a setter, but on Saturday may be used solely in the back row. Where and how much Capova will play will be a match-time decision.

"There's no rush on our part to get her in there. Jessica has been doing a good job," Shoemaker said. "We're listening to the medical staff. I trust what they tell us to do. If they say go I go and if they say stop I stop."

Freshman Jessica Clemons has been in charge of the setting duties for the Nanooks through the first seven matches of the season and she is currently fourth in the GNAC, averaging 10.7 assists per game. As a team, however, UAF is ninth out of 10 teams in total assists with 11.37 per game.

Capova has spent much of the past month working out individually with the Nanook trainers and during UAF practices she often could be found at the side of the court sitting in a chair and setting the ball repetitively off the wall.

"She's really excited and happy to be back on the court, you can certainly see that," Shoemaker said. "It will make a big difference for her and for the team to have her out there."

The Nanooks split their opening matches of the GNAC season at the Patty Center last weekend, falling in four games to the nation's No. 5 ranked team, Western Washington, then rallying to post a four-game win over Seattle Pacific. Anchorage also split against those two squads last weekend, beating SPU in five and losing to Western in four.

"Anchorage is always exciting. I think they have a very good team," Shoemaker said. "The little I have seen of their stats and on video tape, I think this ought to be a tremendous match. These two teams match up very well with each other."

The Seawolves have an explosive offense led by senior setter Kuelper (11.48 assists per games). Senior outside hitter Mindy Cason is averaging 3.95 kills per game and senior outside hitter O'Lita McWilliams is averaging 3.4 kills per game. As a team, UAA has the top attack percentage in the conference (.243) and the second best kills per game (15.48) behind Western Washington.

"They have a pretty potent attack," Shoemaker said. "It's a great challenge."

The Nanooks played well defensively last weekend, especially in the loss to Western Washington, and hope to continue that strong defense against the Seawolves big hitters.

"The relentlessness we had on defense I think will help set the standard for what we have to do the rest of the season," Wheelock said. "We played pretty well on defense and if we can continue to do that we should be OK."