Nanook Volleyball Blue vs. Gold scrimmage kicks of the 2025 Season

By Amber McCain

After 2024’s historic season where the Alaska Nanooks volleyball team tied the program record for wins and posted its best winning percentage in school history, expectations are high heading into the 2025 season.

Photo by David McCain

Mikala Henderson, #15, serves the ball at the Blue vs. Gold Scrimmage on Saturday, August 23, 2025 in the Alaska Airline Gymnasium.

Following Saturday’s Blue vs. Gold scrimmage, head coach Brian Scott and seniors, Elena Guc and Ainsley Smith spoke about the team’s preseason outlook, team camaraderie, maintaining high morale, and their hopes for another strong showing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Alaska is tied for third in the GNAC preseason coaches’ poll, trailing Western Washington University and Central Washington University. However, Coach Brian Scott emphasized that the team’s internal goals remain unchanged regardless of outside expectations.

“The expectation doesn’t change no matter what the GNAC poll says,” Scott said. “They could have picked us tenth, it doesn’t matter. Our expectation is to be number one. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to.”

Nine upperclassmen and eight underclassmen make up this season’s roster. Guc, a right-side hitter from East China, Michigan, and Smith, a setter from North Pole, were both named to the GNAC Preseason All-Conference Team earlier this week.

With a strong core returning, the Nanooks are leaning into a more defense-oriented identity this year. 

“I would say our defense is one of the best it’s been,” Smith said. 

“We’re a scrappy team. We don’t want to leave the ball on the floor.”

Guc agreed, noting that Alaska has typically been offense-heavy in recent years. 

“Now we’ve really got players who can back it up with defense too,” Guc said.

One difference in this year’s schedule is the early slate of matches. Alaska will open the season in Anchorage, staying in-state for the first month rather than traveling to the Lower 48 for nonconference games.

“It’s a huge difference,” Smith said. “We’re older now, and having more time to recover instead of being on a plane for six hours helps a lot.” Coach Scott added that limited travel will be beneficial for player health. 

“Travel is hard,” he said as Guc curled up to demonstrate the tight fit.  “These are tall athletes being crammed into small spaces for long flights. A 45-minute trip to Anchorage is a lot easier than flying to California or Hawaii.”

Photo by David McCain

Action shot! Ashlyn White’s, #12,  hair might be a paid actress.

Beyond physical preparation, the Nanooks are focused on building psychological safety and maintaining team spirit. Many players live together, and the team has been working with a sports psychologist to identify core values for the season.

“We settled on three main ones: resilience, accountability and dedication,” Guc said. “We try to show that in our character every day in practice and in games.”

Smith added to Guc saying, “There are a lot of new personalities this year, and people are going to be on the court for the first time. We’re working on ways to help maintain energy and communicate better in tough moments.”

Both Guc and Smith agreed that when energy levels dip, the best solution is often the simplest one, talking.

“Just letting someone know, ‘I’ve got you,’ or giving them something to swing at helps a lot,” Guc said.

Looking ahead, the team aims to build on last season’s 21-7 record, which tied the program’s all-time wins record and exceeded the best winning percentage previously set in 1995. Coach Scott said there’s no single theme driving the team this year, but rather a commitment to consistent effort and execution.

“It’s just a constant push, this is who we are,” Scott said. “It’s the culture we’re building.”

The Nanooks open their season later this month at the Hawaii-Alaska Challenge in Anchorage, followed by the Nanook Invitational. They return to Fairbanks for their home opener in mid-September.

When asked what they’d like to tell the campus and community, Guc didn’t hesitate. 

“Come, please,” she said.

Scott followed saying, “Get out and watch the games, you won’t be disappointed.”