ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Saints closed the score each set and nearly took their first set off of Alaska Anchorage since 2012 in the 3-0 loss on the road to No. 20 Alaska Anchorage on Thursday. 

The Saints (6-5, 1-2 GNAC) took the very early 3-2 lead in the first set over the Seawolves (8-4, 3-0) on kills from Kamille Langford and Megan Vernoy. UAA responded with a 14-1 run to gain the lead and the eventual 25-7 set victory.

In the second set, the Seawolves took the early advantage 8-3 before a kill from Rebecca Mitchell and blocks from Langford and Rachel Gondrezick cut the score to 9-6. The Saints continued to battle, with kills from Mitchell and Vernoy leading the way. SMU trailing 18-12, rattled off five straight points, highlighted by two more kills from Mitchell and a kill by Vernoy cut the score to 18-17. UAA finished the set on a 7-2 run to secure the set victory 25-19.

In the final set of the match, both sides struggled to gain a serious lead until the Saints, sparked by three straight kills Mitchell, scored four straight points to take a 10-7 lead. Anchorage responded with their own 4-0 run, only for SMU to answer with a 4-1 to jump out to a 15-13 lead. After trading points until UAA led 19-18, head coach Jon Killingbeck subbed in Ililani Kamaka to serve. Kamaka rewarded her team with two service aces en route to a 6-0 lead to put the Saints within one point of claiming their set victory over UAA since 2012. However, UAA rallied behind a 8-1 run to close out the set and the match 28-26.

"UAA is the #20 team in the nation for a reason," said Killingbeck. "We started slow tonight but set three showed that we can hang with the top teams in the GNAC. We have stuff to improve but we showed that we can fight tonight."

Mitchell led the Saints with 15 kills, while tying for team led in digs with 14 along with Hannah Neumann. Nicolette Nesbitt recorded 27 assists, and Kamaka led SMU with her two service aces and Gondrezick managed two blocks.

The Saints remain in the state of Alaska for a matchup against Alaska Fairbanks on Friday, September 22 at 8:00 p.m.