Box Score

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — For the second time in three nights, Alaska proved inhospitable for the Crusaders.

Two days after falling in five sets at the University of Alaska, the Northwest Nazarene volleyball team battled hard only to come up short in a 25-15, 18-25, 25-22, 25-21 loss at No. 11 Alaska Anchorage on Saturday night.

"Our energy and effort were great tonight and I am really proud of how we played," NNU head volleyball coach Doug English said. "UAA came up with some great and timely digs that were a huge difference in the game and in momentum."

That sent the Crusaders to a second straight setback in their final road-trip of the regular season.

Now NNU (15-9 overall, 12-4 GNAC) returns home to play its final four matches of the 2015 campaign at the Johnson Sports Center before learning its NCAA National Tournament fate. The top eight teams in the end of the season West Region poll earn NCAA berths, and the Crusaders started this week No. 8 in that poll, the first poll released this season.

The final poll and NCAA tournament field will be announced Monday, Nov. 23, at 5:30 p.m. (MT).

"We are looking forward to getting to work next week and working to get better to make a push for the NCAA tournament," said English, whose team hosts Seattle Pacific on Thursday at 7 p.m. to open Homecoming festivities on the NNU campus.

Saturday, the Crusaders' focus was on handing the Seawolves (22-2, 14-2) a fifth straight loss in the teams' head-to-head series.

And things started off well for NNU, as a Jenna Caywood kill put the visitors on top, 7-2, in the opening set.

But the Seawolves answered with a 15-4 surge to take control of the opener and hold on for the early lead in the match.

The comeback by UAA didn't secure the matches momentum, though, as the Crusaders got an Elayna Rice kill followed by a Linnea Phillips ace to spark an 8-1 run of their own that turned a 15-14 deficit into a 22-16 NNU advantage in set No 2.

A tandem block by Hailey Cook and Madi Farrell finished off the NNU charge, which helped the Crusaders even the match.

That set the tone for a see-saw battle to the finish, and the Seawolves struck first as a 5-point surge midway through the third set snapped a 16-16 tie.

UAA then jumped in front early in the fourth set, up as much as 15-8, then held on as a tandem block by Farrell and Taylor VanValey got NNU as close as 24-21 down before the Seawolves finished off the win.

Kendra Bodine led the way for the Crusaders in the match with 15 kills and 11 digs, while Rice had 10 kills and 10 digs, Phillips added 19 digs and Cook dished out 42 assists for NNU.