The University of Alaska Fairbanks    

UAF fades in opener

By BOB ELEY Sports Editor

Coach Phil Shoemaker and the University of Alaska Fairbanks volleyball fans who turned out for Thursday's season opener got to see the good, the bad and the ugly version of the Nanooks all in one night.

The Nanooks looked good in the first two games against visiting Cal Poly Pomona, but things started to unravel after the break and the Broncos rallied to claim a 28-30, 27-30, 30-26, 30-26, 15-10 victory at the Patty Center.

"We started out well. We were aggressive and looked like the team we wanted to be in the first two games," Shoemaker said after having a long talk with his players after the game. "The first two games were pretty decent, but then we lost our intensity."

In the first match of the night, the Findlay Oilers came out and swept the Western State College Mountaineers 30-20, 30-24 and 30-22.

All four teams will compete in the Midnight Sun Invitational that gets under way this evening at the Patty Center, with Findlay playing Cal Poly at 6 p.m. and UAF taking on Western State at 8 p.m.

The round-robin tournament concludes on Saturday with four more games as UAF plays Findlay at 11 a.m., Cal Poly takes on Western State at 1 p.m., Findlay plays Western State at 6 p.m. and Cal Poly has a rematch with the Nanooks at 8 p.m.

While the Nanooks came out after the break on their heels, the Broncos were fired up and eventually took control of the match.

"They worked harder and started to figure things out, while we became passive and very predictable," Shoemaker said. "It was an embarrassing, disappointing and unacceptable performance."

The Nanooks came out strong behind the hitting of senior Mallory Bergstrom and sophomore Danielle Hitzeman to take the first two games of the match, but the Broncos got stronger and stronger as the match continued and used the offensive firepower of Allison Anderson and Kellie Francis and the defense and serving of Breezie Jordan to turn things around.

The Nanooks took a 6-4 lead in the fifth and deciding game, but Cal Poly ran off six straight points, three on kills by Francis to take command. UAF closed to within 12-10, before the Broncos scored the last three points to claim the win.

"It was just a completely different situation from the first two games to the last three games and the end result was so far from what we're after," Shoemaker said. "Everyone played a part in it and has to accept the responsibility. It's something we shouldn't allow to happen, ever. We've just got learn from this and never let it happen again."

Bergstrom led the Nanooks with 25 kills, while Hitzeman had 21 and Crystal Wheelock registered 11. Wheelock led the Nanooks with 15 digs, while Bergstrom had 14 and Wheelock had 11.

Anderson finished with 21 kills, while Francis had 10 and 15 digs. Jordan had 18 digs and several long service runs to help the Broncos get back in the match.

Cal Poly committed just nine service errors compared to 14 for the Nanooks and the Broncos had 72 digs compared to 62 for the Nanooks.

In the first match of the night, Findlay got 15 kills from Kristin Couts to lead a well-balanced offensive attack in its sweep of Western State.

Sports Editor Bob Eley can be reached at beley@newsminer.com , sports@newsminer.com or 459-7581.