Seawolves sweep Wolves for fifth straight win at Alaska Airlines Center
The Alaska Airlines Center played host to a home finale on November 7, 2026, where the Alaska Anchorage volleyball team secured a 25-21, 25-22, 25-14 sweep over Western Oregon. Outside hitter Lee Ivakina anchored the attack with 11 kills and 11 digs, while setter Hannah Trotter distributed 34 assists to propel the Seawolves to a five-match win streak.
With this straight-sets win, UAA improves to 19-7 overall and 12-4 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The squad has now claimed nine wins in the last 10 outings, pulling them into a tie for third place in the conference standings alongside Seattle Pacific. Western Oregon drops to 9-16 overall and 5-12 in conference play following the loss.
Offensive Efficiency and Set-by-Set Breakdown
The hosts leaned heavily on senior middle blocker Bella Burney, who contributed 10 kills on an impressive .421 hitting percentage. Western Oregon countered with nine kills and a .320 hitting clip from Katelyn Markley. However, the visitors struggled to find consistent offensive rhythm elsewhere, with the rest of the roster held to a .014 hitting percentage while suffering 10 service errors.
“We won a tough first set despite not hitting very well, but we continued to improve as the match wore on and got the job done against an opponent that was much more dangerous than their record suggests,” said UAA head coach Morgan Hooe. “Lee has been on fire hitting the ball lately, and it’s great to see her and her teammates’ confidence continue to grow as we head into a crucial final week.”
After playing through a stretch that featured three five-setters and one four-setter across their previous four matches, the Seawolves took control of the opening frame midway through. Holding a narrow 16-15 lead, UAA strung together a 3-0 run sparked by an Emma Beck kill and a solo block from Ivakina. Burney later pushed the lead to 21-17. Although Western Oregon rallied to pull within 23-21, another Beck kill and a double-block by Beck and Martina Riba sealed the first set.
The second set proved tighter. Despite building a 19-16 advantage, the Seawolves could not shake the Wolves until a 22-22 tie was broken by a Trinity Byrne kill. Riba followed with another kill, and Trotter capped the set with a service ace.
The third set was all UAA. The Seawolves cruised to the finish line by hitting .423, fueled by Burney converting six of her seven swing attempts. Ivakina finished the night hitting .385 across 26 attacks, notching her 13th double-double with 11 digs. Byrne added nine kills, Riba contributed five kills and two block assists, and sophomore Mary Nahinu anchored the back row with 10 digs and three aces.
The Road Ahead to Close the Regular Season
Entering the week ranked No. 10 in the West Region power rankings, the Seawolves now hit the road for their final two regular-season contests. UAA travels to face Montana State Billings on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 5 p.m. AST, before concluding the regular season against Seattle Pacific in Seattle on Saturday.
