The Saint Martin’s volleyball team couldn’t hang onto a 2-0 set lead and fell in five sets to Alaska Anchorage 25-20, 25-21, 18-25, 12-25, 13-15, on Thursday, Nov. 5 in Anchorage, Alaska.
Emily Garten was hot from the service line to start the first set with three aces in a 5-0 run, and she pounded back-to-back aces late in the set to seal a 25-20 victory.
The Saints fended off the Seawolves in the second set after exchanging leads as Olivia Bassett came alive with five kills in a 25-21 win.
Alaska Anchorage stormed in front 10-5 in set three, and a flurry of attack errors by the Seawolves helped the Saints knot the score at 10-10. But after a 13-13 tie, the Seawolves sprinted to the finish line with seven unanswered points and a total run of 12-5 to close out a 25-18 set three triumph and extend the match.
Runs of 6-0 and 7-0 were crucial to Alaska Anchorage sending the match to a fifth set and winning set four in dominant fashion 25-12.
Saint Martin’s jumped in front 6-2 in the winner-take-all fifth set thanks to three kills by Bassett, and Alaska Anchorage drew even at 7-7. Zoey Crimin’s kill gave the Saints a 12-10 advantage, and after an attack error by the Seawolves made it 13-12 Saint Martin’s, Alaska Anchorage finished with the final three points to conclude a 15-13 victory.
Despite the loss, Bassett set a new career high with 19 kills, while Garten earned her seventh double-double of the season with 17 kills and 10 digs to go along with six aces. Fast tallied 33 assists, seven digs and a staggering five blocks from her setter spot. This was a new high mark as a Saint.
Saint Martin’s (8-16, 4-12 GNAC) will look to snap a five-game skid on Saturday, Nov. 7 when it faces Alaska Fairbanks on the road. The Saints will close the regular season at home against Western Oregon on Saturday, Nov. 14.
