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The University of Alaska Fairbanks    

Flyers subdue Nanooks

By ERIC GOOLD, Staff Writer

For the second consecutive year, the Fairbanks Flyers started the season off on a losing note for the University of Alaska Fairbanks volleyball team.

In exhibition play Friday night at the Patty Center, the Flyers swept the Nanooks 30-22, 30-18, 30-25 and showed the young Nanooks that there is still a great deal of work to be done before the regular season opens next week.

"Do you want the long list or the short list?" Nanooks head coach Phil Shoemaker asked when queried about what the UAF team could learn from the exhibition loss.

"We've got to learn how to compete," Shoemaker said. "It doesn't matter what the odds against you are, and it doesn't matter what challenges you are facing. You've got to find a way to be at the top of your game.

"It was meant to be a challenge of the highest magnitude tonight," Shoemaker added, noting that the Nanooks faced opposition (i.e. men) that they won't see during the season. "It takes courage and discipline, and you may still lose, but you've got to bring your A game."

The Flyers boasted Brad Krupa, brother of Nanooks assistant coach Bev Krupa, who dropped in a series of booming kills to go along with a devastating jump serve that the Nanooks had no answer for.

"It's great to give a little competition to UAF. I'm just glad nobody got hurt," said Brad Krupa. "We wanted to give them a good warm-up for the season."

It turned out to be a lot more than that for the Nanooks, who showed some rust and early jitters in their first match play of the 2004 season. The Krupa's teamed for an early kill (Brad set, Bev hit) and the Flyers jumped ahead 9-6 in Game 1.

When Bev crushed home a kill that made it 22-17, several fans shouted out from the stands, "You still got it, Bev!"

"She taught me everything I know," Brad Krupa said about his sister. "She's still a lot better than me."

After dropping a lackluster Game 2, the Nanooks came out of the intermission determined and motivated. Junior April Blandford had an ace, then freshman Mallory McCormick also aced a serve for an early 7-5 UAF lead.

McCormick, a 6-foot middle blocker from Regina, Saskatchewan, made her UAF debut late in the second game and then played all of the third.

"I was real pleased with the way Mallory responded," said Shoemaker. "It's never easy playing your first time, and it was a special challenge tonight because of the competition she faced. She handled it extremely well."

After the close loss in Game 3 wrapped up the match, Shoemaker said that there was one noticeable part of UAF's game that needs work.

"Our passing has to improve. Our passing has to get 100 percent better, both defensively and on the attack," he said. "Honestly I think we can improve in that area, but passing just cannot be one of our weaknesses."

The Nanooks have an exhibition match at 7 tonight against UAF alumni at the Patty Center.

Staff writer Eric Goold can be reached at egoold@newsminer.com or at 459-7591.