FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Idaho State had the championship experience, making its fourth consecutive appearance in the Big Sky tournament championship. What it did not have was the home court advantage, something the Northern Arizona volleyball team had in its favor. In front of a sellout, school record NAU faithful crowd of 1,423 in the Rolle Activity Center, the Lumberjacks swept the Bengals, 28-26, 25-18, 25-23, and left no doubt as to who the best team in the conference is in the process.

The school record 17-match win streak is nice. So are the most victories (28) in a season ever. But what meant the most to the Northern Arizona volleyball team was a Big Sky Championship, and the 'Jacks did just that, adding the next chapter to an already historic season in more ways than anyone can count.

"It hasn't sunk in just yet," said head coach Ken Murphy. "The girls worked so hard to get to this place and now that it's finally here, you tell yourself, 'man, it really happened.' Idaho State was great tonight and this match was a battle from the first point to the last. Nothing came easy, and both teams had to fight for every single point. It goes back to the character of our group. They never let up, and in the end that showed."

NAU, who improved to 28-4 this season, earned the right to host the conference tournament following a dominating 15-1 Big Sky record on its way to winning the regular season title; and the Lumberjacks used it to their full advantage. The top-seeded 'Jacks swept through the tournament without dropping a set in dispatching Southern Utah, Sacramento State and Idaho State. By winning the conference tournament – the program's first tournament title since 1999 – NAU is going Dancing in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in school history.

Senior Janae Vander Ploeg added to her mantle of accolades by being voted the Big Sky Tournament's Most Valuable Player. Vander Ploeg tallied 40 kills in three matches on .378 hitting in addition to 30 digs. However, she was far from the only Lumberjack to receive recognition as NAU's three other all-conference players – senior Payton Bock and juniors Jensen Barton and Lauren Jacobsen – were named to the All-Tournament team.

Jacobsen recorded 36 kills and seven aces during the tournament, while Bock hit .447 and tallied 23 kills and 15 blocks. Barton averaged nearly 12 assists per set and guided NAU to a Big Sky tournament record .348 hitting percentage.

Idaho State, the third-seed, got the best of NAU in the Big Sky semifinals a year ago, but the top-seeded Lumberjacks were having none of that Saturday night. They had to fight for every point in a match that featured 30 ties and 12 lead changes in just three sets, but exactly 365 days since that loss in Pocatello, the Lumberjacks got sweet revenge in the form of hoisting the trophy on their home court.

"It's such an unbelievable accomplishment for our team," Vander Ploeg said. "The entire team was invested and we wanted to get better every day. We knew it wasn't going to be an easy ride. It's amazing how much can change in one year, but our team just kept getting better."

NAU gained a little separation courtesy of a three-point surge that broke a 12-12 tie in the first set and maintained as large as a four-point lead until reaching set point at 24-22. Idaho State stood its ground though, and the Lumberjacks needed four set points to finally break through when Bock and Barton blocked a Bengal attack to win 28-26.

Idaho State took the first three points of the second set, and led until NAU took an 18-16 lead. The Bengals managed to tie the score at 18-all, but the set was all Lumberjacks from there as they stormed to take the final seven points, and a 2-0 lead. Junior Addy Lofstedt contributed the first and last points of the set-ending run and put NAU within one set of the title.

The 'Jacks had to battle back from an early 5-1 deficit in the third set, but eventually took a 22-18 lead. The sellout crowd rose to their feet, but the Bengals tempered the celebration by rattling off four straight points to even the score. However, a Bock kill and a Jacobsen ace got the fans up again, and after the Bengals held off one match point, an ISU net error on a Barton attack put the celebration in motion.

"I'm blessed to be a part of something awesome; a great program and amazing girls," Bock said. "They're like my second family and it's been such a ride. The crowd was awesome and we feed off of them. I can't even explain how happy I am right now."

The match was a struggle for NAU offensively, unlike their first two Big Sky Championship matches, as the Lumberjacks hit just .206 against the Bengals' defense. However, NAU's defense itself rose to the occasion with redshirt senior Stacia Williams and senior Jordan Leiter holding down the back row with 18 and 11 digs respectively. At the net, NAU tallied 11.0 blocks with Bock having a hand in eight of them to keep Idaho State at just .129 hitting.

"When we get ready for a match, we tell ourselves we're going to hang our hat on our defense and our effort," Murphy said. "If the offense comes, the offense comes and we're going to win with defense. Tonight, we did what we've been doing all year and that's where we find our pride and our energy."

Offensively, Vander Ploeg recorded 12 kills and Bock also added 10, with Lofstedt and Jacobsen each chipping in seven. Barton dished out 34 assists and Leiter held down the service line with a team-high three aces.

The Lumberjacks completed a perfect 14-0 record in the Rolle Activity Center for the program's first ever unbeaten home season.

NAU will learn its NCAA Tournament fate during the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Selection Show on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. Arizona time.