FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – It was tough to tell there were five newcomers in a rotation of eight players as the Northern Arizona volleyball team swept two opponents on the final day of the Hilton Garden Inn/NAU Invitational to earn the team title. Senior Brittany Stowers, named Tournament MVP and Most Outstanding Libero, helped lead the Lumberjacks to 3-0 wins over Rutgers and Binghamton as NAU now stands at 3-0 for the season.

Seniors Alex Fell and Emily Osiadacz were also named to the All-Tournament Team, and a number of Lumberjack newcomers would have earned the honor as well had there been more awards to hand out.

The last time a NAU team started 3-0 for the season was 14 years ago, back in 1994. The title in this tournament is the Lumberjacks' first in the three years it has been held.

“I think winning is contagious,” said first-year NAU head coach Craig Choate. “You have to learn how to win, it's not a given. Suddenly you win a tough match and you think, 'look, we're tougher than we thought we were.' And you can carry that through the year. It doesn't mean you'll win them all, but now you know you have it.”

Lexi Sullivan showed no freshman nerves in her first weekend of collegiate competition, knocking down an impressive game-high 17 kills with a .455 hitting percentage as NAU swept Rutgers 3-0 in the Lumberjacks' first match of the day.

By scores of 25-22, 25-11 and 25-20, NAU put itself in position to win the title in the night game against Binghamton, also 2-0 heading into the final game.

Freshman Sam Hodgkins recorded 12 kills and a .391 hitting percentage vs. Rutgers, and Fell added 10 kills with eight digs. Stowers tallied a game-high 18 digs. As a team, NAU hit an impressive .327 compared to Rutgers' percentage of .154.

Sullivan got NAU off to a strong start with six kills and zero errors in the first set, and continued her strong play with seven kills and no errors in the second set.

After leading by five points on several occasions in the third set, NAU let the Scarlet Knights come within three near the end, but a kill from Hodgkins sealed the victory for the Lumberjacks.

“As a team we played really well today,” said Hodgkins at the conclusion of the night. “We started to flow together and it was a lot of fun to play. We played our hardest which is all we can do so that's a great feeling. We definitely built up some confidence as the weekend went on.”

Sullivan again led NAU with a game-high 11 kills against Binghamton, as the Lumberjacks won by scores of 25-20, 25-13 and 25-21. The game seemed like a sure thing with NAU up 24-15 in the third set, but six game-points ended up getting away. After the fifth, Choate called his team together.

“I told them, 'I called a timeout guys because I missed your smiling faces.' I think we got a little tight and a little nervous, so I was just trying to loosen them up.”

After one more Binghamton kill, Sullivan put the game away off an assist from junior setter Janalee Mays-Robinson.

Osiadacz knocked down nine kills with zero errors against Binghamton, and Fell recorded seven kills with only one error, along with a game-high 12 digs.

For the weekend, Stowers tallied 59 total digs in 11 sets for an average of 5.36 digs per set. Sullivan averaged a team-high 3.82 kills per set and Mays-Robinson averaged 11.91 assists per set.

NAU will return to action next weekend at the Wisconsin-Green Bay Invitational where the Lumberjacks will face Fresno State, Drake and host Green Bay.

Hilton Garden Inn/NAU Invitational All-Tournament Team
Caitlin Saxton, Rutgers
Brionna Patterson, Akron
Anna Lejina, Binghamton
Michelle McDonough, Binghamton
Alex Fell, NAU
Emily Osiadacz, NAU
Brittany Stowers, NAU (MVP and Outstanding Libero)