Box Score

FAIRBANKS, Alaska — The Crusaders amazing five-set run continued Saturday in "The Last Frontier," but this was something special.

Playing on the same court where they lost in five sets last season, potentially spoiling the Northwest Nazarene volleyball teams chances at a bid to nationals, the Crusaders found themselves down two sets to none versus the host Nanooks on Saturday night.

Undaunted, the Crusaders battled back and kept their five-set win streak alive with a 22-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-17, 15-10 victory in Great Northwest Athletic Conference volleyball.

The five-set win also keeps NNU's national tournament hopes alive as NNU is currently sixth in the NCAA West Region with two matches left to play. The top eight teams in the West Region at the end of the season advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Saturday night, the Nanooks took control early with a big effort from Kim Wong, who had four kills in a 5-0 run that put Alaska on top, 20-14, en route to the first-set win.

NNU trailed just 17-16 after a Kendra Bodine kill in the second set before Alaska's Angela Molesworth's took her turn leading UAF as she had three kills in a 6-2 surge that put the Crusaders in a two-set-to-none hole.

NNU's comeback got started quickly in the third set with a Bodine kill on the first points, and a Madi Farrell blast pushed the early edge to 10-4 in the Crusaders favor.

Alaska chipped away and closed to 19-18 down, trying to score a sweep, but a Mari Thomas kill reignited NNU, which finished the set on a 6-1 run.

The Crusaders (18-7 overall, 11-7 GNAC) once again got off to a strong start in the fourth set, up 10-6 on a Bodine kill and ahead 14-7 on a solo block by Bodine.

This time, NNU didn't let the Nanooks (2-23, 1-17) get close as another solo Bodine block finished off the win, evening the match.

Bring on set five!

NNU remained perfect this season in five-set matches as a Thomas kill snapped a 5-5 tie and ignited an 8-1 Crusader charge capped by a Farrell kill for a 13-6 lead.

After a few Nanook points delayed the finish, the Crusaders completed the comeback win with a Farrell kill followed by a tandem block from Farrell and Hailey Cook.

Bodine and Farrell led the way with 20 kills each in the match, while Thomas added 18 kills.

Bodine also had 17 digs and five blocks, Farrell added seven blocks, and Thomas had 10 digs for the Crusaders, who close out the regular season hosting Concordia on Thursday at 7 p.m., and Western Oregon on Saturday at 2 p.m., at the Johnson Sports Center.

Cook added in 57 assists in the victory for NNU, which also got 27 digs from Shayli Siegfreid.