Nanooks volleyball breaks single-season record, honoring military and senior players
Story and photos by Amber McCain
Cynphany Henderson, #11 flies high during the match against Seattle Pacific Falcons.
The Nanooks women’s volleyball team dominated the Seattle Pacific Falcons 3–0 Thursday night at the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium during Military Appreciation Night.
The night popped off with a ceremonial serve from Lt. Colonel Michelle Ground, commander of the 354th Force Support Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base. She is responsible for family support, morale, recreation, education, and personnel services for more than 10,000 people on base, including airmen, their families and non-military personnel.
As military members packed the stands alongside their families, helping to keep the energy high through the night, Nook, UAF’s mascot, made his rounds spending the match chatting it up with the fans.
The UAF Nanooks volleyball team gathers before claiming their victory at Thursday nights game.
“The Nanooks played great! It’s nice that after 27 years in the military, my husband's service is still recognized by the university,” said Molly Henry, who has long attended high school games and been curious about the Nanooks. Her husband, retired Chief Master Sgt. Patrick Henry, served in the U.S. Air Force. They currently reside in North Pole.
“We’ve missed watching our girls play volleyball since they graduated, so Military Appreciation Night was the perfect chance to check out a UAF match.” Henry added.
Alaska dominated from start to finish.
Haylee Lyons had 15 kills at a .324, 15 digs and two aces. Mikala Henderson in the front row added 14 kills at a .423 and two blocks. Cynphany Henderson with 21 assists, five digs, four kills, and two blocks. Tessa Onaga steadied the back row with a match-high 21 digs, plus five assists and an ace. With blocks from Elena Guc and Presley Engelauf, the Nanooks out hit Seattle Pacific .262 to .106 and piled 50 kills to the Falcons’ 32.
Nook waves at the crowd as the Nanooks dominate over Seattle Pacific.
With their 22nd win Thursday night, the team set a new single-season record for wins, the most in Nanooks volleyball history. The previous record was 21, set in 1996 and 2024.
On Saturday, Nov. 22, the team celebrated their five Senior players: Elena Guc, Mikala Henderson, Elizabeth Jackson, Larissa Scatamburlo and Ainsley Smith.
Senior Night’s match against Montana State University Billings served up another win for the Nanooks. Guc had 8 kills, a .227 hitting percentage, 10 block assists and two digs. Jackson with nine kills, .556 hitting, with five digs and an ace. Henderson added six kills, two digs, and a block.
The team ended the season 23-5 and 14-4 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, earning a share of the 2025 GNAC regular-season volleyball title alongside Central Washington, Simon Fraser and Alaska Anchorage.