The University of Alaska Fairbanks    

UAF's Bergstrom named GNAC Player of the Week

By BOB ELEY, Sports Editor

The University of Alaska Fairbanks volleyball team got back on track last weekend with victories over Humboldt State and Western Oregon, thanks in part to a couple of big nights from outside hitter Mallory Bergstrom.

The 5-foot-11 junior from Bend, Ore., had 43 kills and a .323 hitting percentage in a pair of 3-1 victories that boosted the Nanooks to 8-4 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and 11-6 on the season.

Her 26 kills against Humboldt State on Friday night equaled the second-highest total in GNAC history for a four-game match. She set the record of 28 earlier this season in a home win over Northwest Nazarene.

Bergstrom also chalked up a team-high 32 digs in the two matches.

"She certainly had a nice weekend," UAF coach Phil Shoemaker said Monday afternoon. "We're always happy when one of our players gets acknowledged."

The wins enabled the Nanooks to stay within a half-game of second-place Seattle University in the GNAC standings. UAF plays Northwest Nazarene on Thursday and at Seattle University.

Bergstrom has shown steady improvement over the past three seasons. She averaged 1.86 kills per game as a freshman, 3.65 as a sophomore and is averaging 4.46 per game this season. Her hitting percentage has improved from .080 as a freshman to .235 as a sophomore to .239 so far this season.

"She just gets better every day and that's really what we ask of the kids," Shoemaker said. "There's absolutely no question about her commitment, desire and wanting to do the job well on a daily basis."

Shoemaker also noted that Bergstrom has not yet reached her full potential as a volleyball player.

"Her overall game is steadily getting better, and the scary thing is that there's still so much more out there," Shoemaker said. "She's a tremendous physical athlete with lots of room to grow.

In keeping with the approach of Halloween, Shoemaker added, "She can be scary good."

Shoemaker also expounded upon Bergstrom's versatility as a player.

"We ask her to do everything and she does it well," said the veteran UAF coach, who earned his 300th career win on Saturday night. "The only thing she doesn't do is set, and she could do it if we asked her to."

Smith update

UAF junior middle blocker Carlin Smith won't be making the road trip to Northwest Nazarene and Seattle University this weekend after suffering a knee injury in Saturday night's win over Western Oregon.

"She's going to stay here and rehab her knee with the hopes of being ready to go next weekend," Shoemaker said.