By Nicholas Kolsin
The UNCP Braves Women’s Volleyball team took the 4,300 mile trip all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska for the Denali State Ice Block Classic, a three day tournament at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The trip did not start out as planned for the Braves as they lost their first match 3-0 against Slippery Rock University.
Game 1
The Braves went on a 2-0 run to start first set on a Katelynn Swain kill and Abby Peduzzi service ace. Then the set got away from the Braves as they went on a 15-2 run to make it 15-4. Braves then scored 5 of the next 7 points to make it 17-9 forcing a SRU timeout. They could not recover from the poor start however as they lost the first set 25-12.
Game 2
The Braves turned it around to start the second set taking a 7-5 lead early. The teams then traded points to bring it to 13-12 SRU. After 3 straight points for SRU making it 17-13 the Braves were forced to take a timeout to try to stop the bleeding. The timeout worked as SRU committed a service error coming out of it giving the Braves a point. Two straight attack errors by the braves extended SRU’s lead to 19-15
Then, the Braves got rolling. Ruby Countryman got a kill, and two straight attack errors by SRU brings the Braves within one 19-18 forcing a SRU timeout. The timeout did not stop the Braves as they scored again coming out of it to tie the game and take the lead on the next two possessions 20-19.
SRU scores 3 straight to make it 22-20. Three straight kills (2 from McKenna Hayes and one from Anaya Carter) to take the lead back 23-22. SRU tied the game back up on an attack error and took a 24-23 lead on the next possession forcing a Braves timeout. A Hayes kill tied the game back up at 24 but an attack error and a SRU kill gave Slippery Rock the 26-24 win in the second set.
Game 3
After going down 2-0 in the match, the Braves needed to win this set to keep the match alive.
The Rocks started the set hot going on 9-3 run. Then, the Braves were able to storm back due to attack and service errors by SRU and Kills from Emma Fraidenburg and Mckenna Hayes to tie the game at 10-10. The Rock’s then started to run away with the game after two attack errors by the Braves and four straight kills give them a 16-10 lead forcing a Braves timeout.
A service error by the Rock stopped the bleeding coming out of the timeout. A Tyler Patterson service ace and Rock service error brought the set within 3 at 16-13. Self inflicted errors then killed the Braves as they made three attack errors which was part of a SRU 7-0 run making it 23-13.
The Braves will continue their Alaska trip playing Felician University on Friday at 6:30.