September 18, 2005

At Anchorage, University of Alaska Anchorage put together late rallies in the first and third games to record its first conference victory of the season.

UAA (4-8, 1-3) hit for a season-best .268 attack percentage. The Saints (0-10, 0-4), who have lost 13 straight over two seasons, were led by 17 kills and nine digs from Carrie Ooms (Jr., Rainier, WA).

In the opening frame, the Saints forged a 27-24 lead. But an SMU service error opened the door for a Seawolf rally, and UAA slammed two straight kills to tie it.

After a Saint timeout, Keana Morrisey (Jr., University Place, WA) committed an attack error, and UAA ripped a kill to make it game point at 29-27. Andrea Tarbet’s (Fr., Rochester, WA) ensuing kill kept the Saints alive before UAA went up 1-0 on another SMU attack error.

The Seawolves rolled to victory in the second game behind .306 team hitting.

Game 3 presented SMU with another great opportunity as it grabbed a 28-24 lead on an Ooms kill. But the Seawolves proved resilient again, scratching within a point after a kill and two more Saints attack errors. Ooms’ final kill of the evening gave her team a pair of game points, but back-to-back kills by UAA knotted it at 29-29.

Then, with the score 30-30, SMU made another attack error, and UAA captured the win when UAA setter Lindsey Robertson’s quick attack found a hole in the Saints’ defense.

The road does not get easier for the Saints, as they face Central Washington University on Sept. 22 in Ellensburg, WA. Central, ranked No.9 in the AVCA NCAA Division II Top 25, increased its conference win streak to 26 matches on Saturday, dating back to its final five matches of the 2003 season. The Wildcats have won eight straight this season, the last five by 3-0 margins.