Box Score
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Drury's volleyball Panthers picked up their first victory of the season by defeating Alaska-Fairbanks 3-0 in the Extended Stay Deluxe Invitational here Friday on the campus of the University of Alaska-Anchorage.
The Panthers (1-1) captured the match by scores of 25-14, 25-21 and 25-22.
Senior setter Austin Warren helped set the tone with nine assists in the first set and finished with a game-high 27 to lead the Panthers. Warren added nine digs, second on the night only to the 11 from junior defensive specialist Michelle O'Dell.
Junior Ali Rook had a team-high nine kills, senior Kyrle Hopkins added eight and senior Kayla Hellebusch had seven kills for the Panthers.
Drury trailed by four points several times early in the key second set, but rallied to catch the Nanooks. The Panthers were clinging to a 22-21 lead when, after a timeout called by DU coach Ashleigh Shear Fitzgerald, her squad responded by scoring the final three points on a UAF service error, a service ace from Drury freshman Elly Citron and an attack error by the Nanooks.
Drury was holding on to an 18-17 advantage in the third set before reeling off three straight points, including kills from Hellebusch and Rook, to stave off Fairbanks (1-1).
"It was great to rebound from yesterday's loss and get our first win of the season," Fitzgerald said. "Ali Rook did a great job attacking for us, and I'm really pleased we improved our first contacts today. We are a pretty good team when we serve and pass well."
The Panthers will play Fairbanks again at 4 p.m. (CST) on Saturday before closing out their four-game Alaskan trip against No. 24 Alaska-Anchorage at 9 p.m. that evening. UAA defeated Drury 3-0 late Thursday night.