Playing the final home volleyball matches of their careers, seniors Carlin Smith and Mallory Bergstrom helped UAF defeat Seattle Pacific University on Friday, only to lose Saturday to Western Washington University.

The 'Nooks survived a five-game match on Friday to beat Seattle 30-26, 30-23, 20,30, 22-31, 15-9. But Fairbanks couldn't last three games against WWU, losing 27-30, 28-30, 18-30.

"I'm probably not as sad as I should or could be," Shoemaker said following Saturday's loss. The match was Smith and Bergstrom's last home game, and Shoemaker said he could still remember meeting them both "on the same day in the same gym in Las Vegas."

Bergstrom, 21, has a career record of 1,930 kills, while Smith, 22, is within six blocks of beating the career record with 349 blocks.

"It's just been an awesome experience knowing these guys," Shoemaker said.

Senior Carlin Smith blocked 10 of Seattle's attacks and delivered 12 kills with an average hit count of .273. Bergstrom performed below average, with only nine kills. But she pulled it together in the fifth for three of the winning kills.

"This was not Mallory's night," Shoemaker said, but "the thing I'm most proud of is how she handled it."

Sophomore Danielle Hitzeman had 19 kills and 19 digs, while junior April Blandford had 12 kills and 10 blocks.

The 'Nooks maintained solid leads throughout the first and second game, with an ace serve by freshman Mallory McCormick in game two. But Seattle turned up the heat, and UAF lost control for the next two games.

Blandford led off the fifth game with the first kill, and McCormick delivered her second ace of the match. UAF stayed ahead almost the entire game, winning 15-9.

"I was hoping it would go three, but wasn't surprised that it went five," Shoemaker said. "Hopefully tomorrow will go faster, but I don't care if we go seven."

But Saturday's match proved to be a total Nanook shutdown, with WWU winning all three games. Since the Great Northwest Athletics Conference began three years ago, the 'Nooks have faced and lost to Western Washington eight times.

Bergstrom performed stronger than on Friday, with 16 digs, 15 kills and a .412 average, but had to leave in the third game with a hamstring injury. Smith killed seven and had four more blocks.

UAF now stands 11-11, 8-7 in conference play. The team will battle UAA this Saturday in Anchorage.

Photo by Dave Lokken/ Sun Star
Mallory Bergstrom (6) spikes against Western Washington Saturday at the Patty Center. The Vikings swept the Nanooks 3-0.

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