FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Western Oregon overcame a rocky start only to scramble back for a five-set win over Alaska on Thursday night at the Alaska Airlines Gym.
The Wolves snapped a five-game losing streak with an 11-25, 25-20, 25-20, 21-25, 15-12 victory in front of 598 UAF fans. That victory also gave the Wolves the season sweep over the Nanooks, and they improved to 9-15 on the season and to 5-11 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Alaska is now 11-14 overall and 3-12 in the GNAC.
The Wolves will continue this road trip on Saturday with a bout at Alaska Anchorage. Start time is 8 p.m. Pacific time.
The Nanooks came out on fire, hitting .391 in the first set to roll to the 25-11 win. But WOU rallied back in the second, busting open a 12-12 tie with a 6-0 run to pull away for an eventual 25-20 win. In the third, Western took a 9-8 lead and never trailed again, just keeping the Nanooks at bay throughout the set for another 25-20 victory.
Alaska fought back in the fourth, rallying from 5-1 and 17-15 deficits with a late 4-0 run of their own to pull away for the 25-21 set. But the fifth set belonged to the Wolves. WOU never trailed in sprinting out to an 8-2 lead before surviving a UAF comeback and the 15-12 finale.
Madi Noel (16 digs) and Payton Davis (13 digs) led the defense. Haylee Lyons led Alaska with 18 kills.
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