Photos: UAA wins opener of regional volleyball championships

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Kyla Militante-Amper, left, and Morgan Hooe celebrate the final point of the night. UAA beat Dixie State in five sets on the opening day of the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships in Anchorage on Friday, December 4, 2015.

In the circumstances – an NCAA tournament game, an extraordinary season on the line and a record crowd in the stands Friday night – there was no time for Seawolves sentiment, not even in those somber moments when a teammate's cries pierced the sudden silence inside the Alaska Airlines Center.

The UAA volleyball team's opening match against Dixie State of Utah in the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships had barely begun – only 13 of the 201 eventual points earned had been awarded – and Seawolves star Katelynn Zanders was crumpled on the court with an injured ankle that ended her evening. As much as the Seawolves ached for their fallen teammate, they understood they really owned only one option – carry on, for themselves, for Zanders, for their program and for their fans.

Read more: A star falls to injury, but the resilient Seawolves rally in her absence