FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Nothing came easy and every point was earned on Saturday, but the Northern Arizona volleyball team snapped a six-match home streak to Northern Colorado in dramatic five-set fashion, 25-23, 21-25, 25-19, 23-25, 15-13. The Lumberjacks won for the first time this season when hitting under .200, but they pulled through to win their school-record eighth straight Big Sky match in moving to 19-4 overall and 9-1 in conference play.

"Execution-wise, we were off most of the day; even at the end I didn't think we were clicking together like we normally do," said head coach Ken Murphy. "Northern Colorado made nice adjustments on their side and I give them credit. Their blocking and their back row defenders made things tough for us. Honestly today, it was all character and all guts for us. There weren't many times during the match that I thought we were clearly better, but we toughed it out and got through it."

Facing the defending conference champions, NAU had to dig deep in a slugfest featuring a total of 40 ties and 13 lead changes. The personality of the match would be defined from the opening set with 11 ties alone.

The teams traded blows exchanging the first 10 points before consecutive kills by juniors Addy Lofstedt and Lauren Jacobsen gave NAU a 7-5 lead in the first set. Junior Jensen Barton's ace pushed NAU's lead out to a set-high four points at 15-11, but Northern Colorado clawed back to retake the lead at 19-17. Lofstedt started a critical four-point Lumberjack run, however NAU's lead was short lived until UNC brought the score even at 21-21. With the opening period tied at 23-23, senior Payton Bock slammed a kill from the right side to put NAU at set point. On the ensuing point, UNC was unable to control senior Janae Vander Ploeg's attack, pushing NAU to a hard earned 1-0 lead.

Northern Colorado answered back in the second set, breaking a 3-3 tie with five straight points. Redshirt senior Stacia Williams eventually brought the set even at 16-16 with an ace, and the 'Jacks seemed to be in control up 20-17. Following a Bear timeout though, Northern Colorado grabbed the sideout and reeled off six straight points to take a 23-20 lead before closing out the win.

The Lumberjacks seized control of the third set with Williams at the service line. Williams contributed two aces, and NAU roofed Northern Colorado three times during a 7-0 run that blew the third set open with a 15-5 score in favor of the 'Jacks. Although the Bears never caved, the Lumberjacks held tough themselves to win the critical third set despite hitting only .103 in the set. NAU's service game – four aces – and efforts at the net – four blocks – were pivotal in going up 2-1.

The fourth set mirrored the opener with 15 tie scores and six lead changes alone and neither team led by more than two until Northern Colorado scored five straight points to take a 22-18 lead. Barton served the Lumberjacks back into the set with four straight points, the last coming on an ace, to tie the score at 23-23. However, Northern Colorado forced a winner-take-all fifth set with two straight kills.

Playing in their first five-set match since Sept. 12 at Indiana, NAU fell behind 5-2 to start the final stanza, but a kill from Vander Ploeg gave NAU the serve. There, Barton fired in two straight aces to bring her match total to a career-high tying five, to even the score at 5-5. UNC led 8-6 at the court exchange and as late as 11-9, before the Lumberjacks took the lead with three straight points. After the Bears evened the score, a UNC attack error gave NAU its 13th point of the match. Vander Ploeg and redshirt freshman Brittni Dorsey blocked the Bears on the next point, only for Northern Colorado to stave off one match point. On match point number two though, Vander Ploeg's kill towards the back corner found the court to fend off the visiting Bears.

NAU had last defeated Northern Colorado on its home court in 2007 and had lost 10 of the last 11 matches overall to the Bears prior to Saturday.

UNC outhit NAU .211-.180 and held a significant edge in kills at 68-59. The 'Jacks controlled the service line though at a 10-3 rate and outblocked the Bears by two, 14.0-12.0.

Five Lumberjacks finished with double-digit digs led by Wililams' 27. Jacobsen added a career-high 18 and senior Jordan Leiter posted 16. Barton (14) and Vander Ploeg (12) rounded out NAU's back row efforts, with the Lumberjacks recording a season-high 90 digs.

"Today's win was awesome because (Northern Colorado) is a really scrappy team," Jacobsen said. "It was really tough for us to kill the ball, and our defense stepped up to the occasion making it really hard for them to kill the ball as well. Both teams brought everything they had, and that's what makes this win so satisfying."

Vander Ploeg paced the 'Jacks with 21 kills and notched her team-best 12th double-double. Also recording double-doubles to go along with their dig totals was Jacobsen with 15 kills and Barton with 47 assists. Lofstedt matched her season-high of 12 kills and Bock had a career match at the net with a lifetime-best 11 blocks.

The Lumberjacks wrapped up their four-match homestand with four victories to improve to a perfect 8-0 at home and will now head on the road for three straight. First up next week is a rematch with Idaho State, whom the 'Jacks defeated last Thursday, in Pocatello, Idaho next Thursday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. NAU then concludes the week at Weber State next Saturday, Oct. 31 at 6 p.m.