FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Think of the word "historic." That singular word is defined as "having great and lasting importance." Or, when searching for an example, just take a look at the 2015 Northern Arizona volleyball season. Two Big Sky Championships, 28 victories and 17 straight wins later, NAU made history right in front of everyone's eyes.
"I was just really impressed with this group of players," said head coach Ken Murphy. "They had a goal and they went for it. They were methodical, they stuck to their plan and they got through the adversity we expected during a long season. That persistence and determination to achieve the result they wanted is ultimately the reason why our season was as successful as it was."
One year after their season ended in devastating fashion in the conference semifinals, the 'Jacks nearly ran the table in raising the Big Sky hardware in pure jubilation on their home court.
The journey to the most dominant season in school history started in January when lofty goals were set for 2015. On the way, this special collection of Lumberjack players and coaches literally rewrote the school record books at seemingly every turn.
The list of new school records requires a few breaths in between reading. Start with NAU's 28-5 record, setting new marks for wins in a season and win percentage (.848). In fact, the .848 win percentage is tied for fourth-best in Big Sky history. The 17 straight wins between NAU's lone Big Sky loss on Sept. 26 and its NCAA Tournament loss on Dec. 3 is the longest win streak by any Lumberjack team.
The 'Jacks was a perfect 14-0 in the Rolle Activity Center this season, setting a record for home wins in a season and completing their first unbeaten home slate ever. NAU has won a record 17 straight home matches dating back to last season, and will also carry a school-record tying six-match road win streak into next season. In winning 15 Big Sky matches, NAU tied that record, although the 2012 team lost four more conference matches than this year's squad in going 15-5 compared to the 2015 team's nearly unblemished 15-1 mark.
The season started at the JMU Classic where NAU posted a 2-1 record with the loss in five sets at the hands of the host James Madison. Coming home for the second weekend of play, the Lumberjacks quickly reached a turning point. Facing an early season test, NAU conquered Loyola Marymount to earn arguably its most impressive win of the entire season. In five sets, the 'Jacks slayed the Lions, a team who eventually advanced to this season's NCAA Sweet 16 and finished No. 16 in the AVCA National Coaches Poll, to win their own Lumberjack Classic.
"Winning our home tournament, beating Loyola Marymount and rebounding from a loss we were disappointed with; all of that proved to us that we could control this season," Murphy said. "If we could control this, we could be the high-caliber team we wanted to be. That carried a lot of momentum the rest of the year."
Although NAU suffered losses in two of its next four matches – both on the road to No. 10 Arizona State and Indiana – the team carried a 10-3 record into conference play with a number of impressive wins on their resume. Along with Loyola Marymount, the Lumberjacks knocked off Virginia Tech for their first ACC win since 2001 and Boise State to set the table for the Big Sky.
The Lumberjacks hit the road for the first weekend of conference play, where the course of their season was altered following a four-set loss at Sacramento State in their final match of September.
"We had played a few matches in a row that we felt we weren't our best," Murphy said. "We couldn't quite put our finger on what that meant and (Sacramento State) gave us an opportunity to regroup and reinvest in ourselves. That was a really pivotal time where a team could start to press, but our team relaxed and allowed us to springboard from there."
To start a win streak, it always takes the first win and NAU responded from its first conference loss by taking care of Idaho at home. The significance of the Sacramento State loss was that NAU never lost again to a Big Sky opponent the rest of the season. Not on the road, not at home. Not in three sets or four or five. Never. As a matter of fact, the 'Jacks would not lose again for more than two months.
There were no doubt challenges along the way, such as being pushed to the brink in a five-set win at home over Northern Colorado, but there were also impressive performances such as NAU's commanding three-set sweep at Idaho State.
The Lumberjacks won their final 14 regular season conference matches to secure their first outright Big Sky regular season title in school history. With that came the right to welcome the conference tournament to Flagstaff. As the top seed, NAU swept through Southern Utah in the first round and followed with its most complete match in the semifinal against Sacramento State.
That set up a championship showdown with Idaho State – the team that broke NAU's heart in the semifinal a year ago. On Nov. 21, in front of a school record sellout crowd of 1,423, the story would have its happy ending. In one-two-three fashion, the 'Jacks swept the Bengals, punctuating a year-long mission from that fateful semifinal night in Pocatello to be the best team they could be on any given night, and to hoist the conference trophy.
"There was a maturity of understanding among this team that this goal was going through a process," Murphy said. "There was a determination to improve in all our skill areas, improve our team dynamic and improve in our ability to compete. You don't reach a goal by just saying you want to be successful. You reach it by breaking it down into individual pieces and sticking with it and that's what they did."
The 'Jacks left no doubt as to who the most dominant team in the Big Sky Conference in 2015 was by winning both the regular season and conference championships in the same season for the first time in school history. As the Big Sky Champions, the Lumberjacks went dancing in the NCAA Tournament for just the second time ever. While the season ended with a first round loss to San Diego, snapping their school record 17-match win streak, NAU is now on the national radar.
Individually, the common observer noticed the play of senior Janae Vander Ploeg, and rightfully so. All she did was put together the most decorated individual season in school history. Vander Ploeg became the first player in league history to receive three straight Big Sky Player of the Week awards in earning a school record four in a single season. She was voted the Big Sky regular season and tournament Most Valuable Player. She then was selected as NAU's first ever AVCA First Team All-Region player and AVCA All-American. She finished the season in the top 10 nationally in kills and points and broke the NAU career and season records for kills.
However, Vander Ploeg found success because of the players she had around her. There was senior Payton Bock, who herself broke nearly every Lumberjack career and season blocks record. There were juniors Jensen Barton and Lauren Jacobsen, both of whom earned all-conference honors along with Vander Ploeg and Bock.
There was the energy and fire of redshirt senior Stacia Williams at libero and the serving excellence of senior Jordan Leiter. Junior Addy Lofstedt was a consistent source of points on the right side and there were a number of contributions throughout the season by redshirt freshman Brittni Dorsey and true freshman Jordan Anderson.
The 2015 season was historic because all 15 players on the roster had a common goal in mind. It was record breaking because of the leadership at the top from the coaching staff led by Murphy.
All of this added up to a final NCAA RPI ranking of 33rd, NAU's highest finish ever. Furthermore, the Lumberjacks posted the state's highest RPI ranking for the first time, finishing above their Pac-12 counterparts Arizona State (No. 40) and Arizona (No. 50) as well as Grand Canyon (No. 275).
In 2015, the Lumberjacks were the Big Sky's best, Arizona's finest and frankly one of the best teams in the country. As a result of this team, everyone is starting to recognize Lumberjack Volleyball.
"We received a lot of exposure and people are very aware nationally of our program," Murphy said. "We've had a few years where we were getting stronger, but to perform at this level all season there is a lot of respect for this program nationally. That's new and that's where we want to be. While that doesn't automatically guarantee success down the road, it helps us understand what it takes to reach this level."
While the program will lose its winningest senior class ever – Bock, Leiter, Williams and Vander Ploeg combined to post a 92-31 record during their careers – NAU Volleyball is here to stay on the heels of its most successful four-year stretch in school history.
"This senior class was so extraordinary, but we don't necessarily think about replacing players," Murphy said. "We focus on being the best team that we can be. We might be a little younger, but our determination will be the same. In terms of the way we play and how we reach success might be a little different, but that's going to be one of the great things about reinventing ourselves and building on what we've accomplished."
There are a lot of superlatives to describe the 2015 Northern Arizona volleyball season. A season like this might never be replicated. However you describe it, one thing can be agreed upon: the Lumberjacks took everyone on a memorable ride. Simply put, they are among NAU's greatest teams ever, across all sports.
That will always leave an imprint on people's minds and hearts. That is what makes the 2015 season truly historic.
