Box Score

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Crusaders turned their first-place battle into a near blowout.

The 16^th-ranked Northwest Nazarene volleyball team traveled north to Alaska to face Great Northwest Athletic Conference co-leader Alaska Anchorage where NNU used a first-set surge to take control of the match and roll to a 25-21, 25-19, 25-18 sweep of the host Seawolves.

"We embraced the environment and played great volleyball," NNU head volleyball coach Doug English said. "It doesn't get much better than tonight."

The win gives NNU sole possession of the GNAC lead and a season sweep of the second-place Seawolves. It also sets up another first-place battle Thursday night in Nampa, Idaho, when No. 10 and second-place Western Washington visits the Johnson Sports Center at 7 p.m.

The Crusaders turned Saturday's match in Alaska around early after a tandem block by the Seawolves' Caitlin McInerney and Erin Braun put NNU in a 14-8 hole in the first set, and a Kayla McGlathery kill seemingly gave UAA a commanding edge, up 17-12.

Instead, the deficit sparked the Crusaders fighting instinct and NNU answered with a 9-1 run that gave them control of the set – and as it turned out, control of the match.

"We played with great effort and stayed poised," English said.

Elayna Rice pounded down a pair of kills and Madi Farrell and Michelle Terpstra each added a kill in the run, which also saw Kaitlyn Tuholski added a service ace that tied the set, 18-18.

Suddenly in front 21-18, the Crusaders (19-2 overall, 12-1 GNAC) never let the Seawolves back in the set, finishing off the first set with a tandem block by Michelle and Andrea Terpstra.

NNU then rode that momentum to a 7-2 lead in the second set, getting three Andrea Terpstra kills in a starting run that was capped by a Kendra Bodine kill.

The Seawolves (17-4, 11-2) got as close as 14-13 down on a Julia Mackey kill, but a Taylor VanValey kill put NNU back in control, up 20-15, before an Andi Terpstra kill finished off the second win for a commanding two-set Crusader lead.

UAA came out strong after the mid-match break and built a 9-5 lead in the third set, only to see the Crusaders turn it on again en route to the sweep.

A VanValey solo block followed by a Michelle Terpstra kill and a VanValey kill tied it, 9-9, and sparked an 11-2 charge.

A Bodine kill made it 12-9 and a VanValey kill pushed the lead to 16-11 and the Crusaders cruised from there, finishing the sweep with a Farrell kill.

Andrea Terpstra led the offense with 15 kills while Bodine added 11 for NNU, which also got 40 assists and 10 digs from Michelle Terpstra.

"Andi played her best match of the year in our biggest game of the year," English said.

Taylor Roberts added 29 digs in the win and Elayna Rice had 11 digs and seven kills for the Crusaders, who set an all-time record for wins at the NCAA Division II level with the victory.