FAIRBANKS — The Alaska Nanooks kick off three days of volleyball action at the Patty Center tonight. Alaska takes on the Cal State East Bay Pioneers at 7, and the 1-1 Nanooks are excited to have a complete roster for the first time this season.

“The last two days, we’ve had all 15 players in practice,” head coach Phil Shoemaker said, noting the team is especially fortunate to have junior middle blocker Marybeth Wikander back in the lineup.

“That’s a positive for us. We’ll have at least everyone available, at least part time and in situational roles,” Shoemaker said. “Having the expanded roster means more options and more opportunities. That’s critical.”

Shoemaker said his squad has been working on getting, and staying, healthy as well as priming the fundamentals throughout the week.

“Beyond getting healthy, we’re working hard on basic skills,” he said. “We’re trying to work through various defenses and getting some coordination between our setters and hitters. We’re basically cleaning up our game, which is an every day, every week kind of thing.”

The Pioneers went 10-21 overall in 2009. They have eight seniors on their roster, including setter Roxanne Neely who led last year’s team with 716 assists. She also charted 46 aces, 313 digs and 204 kills, landing her in the team’s top three in each category.

Junior outside hitter/middle blocker Sukhjlt Athwal returns for CSU East Bay. She led the team with 281 kills last season. Lauren Massa is the team’s senior libero. In her junior season, she finished with 500 digs, leading the Pioneers.

Shoemaker didn’t focus this past week’s practices on how to beat CSU East Bay and their returning powerhouses.

“We’re not preparing for them,” he said. “We’re preparing for our season. We’ve been working hard.”

The Nanooks set a goal at the beginning of their season: taking each game one at a time. In tonight’s game, their focus remains the same.

“We’re taking it one day at a time, one game at a time,” Shoemaker said. “It’s going to be the same all season. We’re only going to get to the end of the season if we take care of it one day at a time.”

Of course his team expects and wants to win every time they hit the court, Shoemaker said, but with intense games continuing throughout the weekend for the Nanooks, the team is looking to continue getting better with each match.

“Our kids are tired,” Shoemaker said, “but they’ll be fine by game time.”

After tonight’s match, Alaska’s Flint Hills Resources Nanook Classic begins. CSU East Bay is part of the tournament, as well as the Charleston and Bellarmine.

The Nanooks play Charleston at 8 on Friday night and Bellarmine and East Bay on Saturday at 1 and 8 p.m., respectively.

A banquet for the four teams will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday at the Alaska Salmon Bake. Tickets for the luncheon cost $20 at the door.