GREEN BAY, Wis. – Defense does in fact win championships, at least for the NAU volleyball team as senior libero Brittany Stowers set NAU and Big Sky Conference single-match records with 52 digs in leading the Lumberjacks to their second consecutive team title, this week at the Country Inn & Suites Classic hosted by Wisconsin Green Bay.

NAU defeated Drake (6-1) and Green Bay (3-4) on day two of the tournament, and despite losing to Fresno State on day one, earned the title by virtue of a tiebreak win versus Drake who also went 2-1 for the weekend. At 5-1 for the season, NAU has matched its best start since 1991.

“In 23 years I've never seen a defensive show like tonight,” said first-year head coach Craig Choate. “The Green Bay crowd was even going nuts for her and it was so much fun. The girls sucked it up today after a bad start to the weekend last night. Going into the match I told them we were playing for the title and even though it wasn't great volleyball, they just kept playing so hard.”

Stowers was also named the Tournament MVP for the second week in a row. Earning their first career All-Tournament Team honors were freshmen Lexi Sullivan and Katie Bailey.

Sullivan averaged 4.00 kills per set over the three matches for the weekend to lead NAU, while Bailey averaged 2.27 kills per set and 0.73 blocks per set to tie for the team lead.

After dropping the first set to Green Bay by a close score of 26-24 in the final match, the Lumberjacks went on to win by scores of 25-17-, 25-21 and 25-19. Senior Alex Fell led all players with 16 kills, and recorded her third double-double of the season with 13 digs. Sullivan added 13 kills and Bailey knocked down 11. Junior setter Janalee Mays-Robinson tallied her second double-double of the season with 47 assists and 20 digs.

NAU's 110 total team digs against Green Bay is the second-most all-time for a four-set match, with that and Stowers' record being all the more impressive due to sets one through four now being played to 25 points instead of 30.

In the Lumberjacks first match of the day, they handed Drake its first loss of the season. NAU pulled out a tough third set to earn a sweep against the Bulldogs. The Lumberjacks won 25-23, 25-20 and 28-26, led by Sullivan and Emily Osaidacz.

With NAU facing a set-point in favor of Drake at 25-26 in the final set, Osiadacz knocked down two straight kills and freshman Sam Hodgkins served up an ace to end the match. Sullivan led all players with 15 kills, and Osiadacz recorded 10 kills with just one error on her way to hitting .500 for the match. Stowers tallied a team-high 17 digs.

“We really played a brilliant match against Drake,” said Choate. “That was such good volleyball to watch.”

NAU will return home next weekend to host the Fiesta Bowl Tournament. The Lumberjacks will open the weekend with a 7:00 p.m. match on Friday, Sept. 12 against Hampton.