Match Information
Score: Alaska Anchorage 3, Lubbock Christian 0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-14)
Records: Lubbock Christian (0-1), Alaska Anchorage (4-0)
Location: Alaska Airlines Center – Anchorage, Alaska

Highlights
Lubbock Christian University looked like a team getting its feet wet to open the 2022 season, while their opponent looked like a team with three games already under their belt. Thursday night inside Alaska Airlines Center, LCU fell in straight sets to Alaska Anchorage 3-0, as the game served as the opening game of the Seawolf Invitational for both squads. The Seawolves, who went 3-0 (all straight-set wins) last week in Hawaii, thrived off 10 aces and a .427 attack percentage, which is the highest mark by an LCU opponent since opponent game-by-game records were kept on file since 2008 (only the second time in the span an opponent has surpassed a .400 mark, joining a mark of .402 by Angelo State on Feb. 9, 2021). Eve Stephens (18) and Lisa Jaunet (10) combined for 28 kills for UAA, who had 53 in the three-set win. LCU was held to 29 kills and without an individual double figures. Kiana Fallaha led LCU with a career-high eight kills.

How It Happened

Set One:
UAA set the tone early, jumping out to a 5-0 lead with three consecutive Ellen Floyd serving aces. The Seawolves had five aces in the first set and all five were within their first 10 points scored. A 10-0 UAA run (pushed the lead to 15-2) forced LCU head coach Keith Giboney to call a second timeout in the set. LCU responded with a 5-2 run, but the deficit was too much to overcome and LCU dropped the opening set 25-12. Fallaha led LCU in the set with four kills. Stephens led all players in the set with seven kills.       

Set Two:
UAA showed tendencies of duplicating their early set success, like the opening set, as they jumped out with a 3-1 lead at the start of the second set. LCU interrupted those plans with a 5-1 run for a 6-4 lead. Leading 13-12, UAF surged with a 5-0 run for an 18-12 advantage and went on to claim the set 25-19 for a 2-0 match lead. Stephens (6) and Jaunet (4) combined for 10 of UAA's 17 kills in the set. Sage Chain led LCU with a trio of kills.

Set Three:
Payton Murray made her LCU debut in the third set and the freshman took advantage of the playing time, producing five kills in the set. She had a kill to cut the set deficit to 10-8, but the Seawolves exploded with a 7-2 run for a 17-10 lead. They won the set 25-14 behind Stephens (5) and Jaunet (5) combining for another 10 kills in the set.
 
Inside the Numbers:

28-16	LCU, opening their 44th season in program history, fell to 28-16 all-time in season openers. It was their fifth loss of their last 15 openers (second consecutive season-opening loss). LCU was opening on the road (with a true road game) for the first time since 2017 and the 3-0 loss was their first season-opening straight-set loss since being swept by No.10 Rockhurst in 2018. LCU went 10-2 in road games last season and open this season 0-1 in road contests.
.286	In the third set, LCU completed their best offensive set with 14 kills (progressed from six to nine to 14) for a .286 attack percentage.
2	Lily Bickley (started) and Payton Murray each made their LCU debut Thursday. Murray had five kills on seven opportunities for a .714 attack percentage and did it all in one set.
10	UAA produced 10 aces, which is the most by an LCU opponent since West Texas A&M produced 10 on Sept. 21, 2019.
13	The final 13 combined points tabbed in the third set were all off kills.
18	Eve Stephens' 18 kills in a three-set match is the most in a three-set match by an LCU opponent since Torrey Miller had 18 for WTAMU in Oct. 11, 2019.
0-1	The meeting was the first-ever between the two programs, placing LCU with an 0-1 all-time series mark against UAF.

 
Next:
LCU remains in Anchorage Thursday to face Pittsburg State at 8 p.m. (CT).