HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Northern Arizona volleyball team fought hard to force a decisive fifth set after going down to two sets to James Madison, but the Lumberjacks' comeback bid fell short, 25-21, 25-17, 24-26, 14-25, 15-12. The loss gave NAU a split of its opening day to 2015 coupled with its three-set sweep of Lehigh Friday morning.

"There were times when we were defending really well and there were times when we had a hard time slowing them down in the first two sets," said head coach Ken Murphy. "Our team adjusted and figured some things out and too control of the match the next couple of sets and in game five, it wasn't our best set but we were really competitive."

The teams opened the match exchanging the first 10 points with ties at every step of the way until James Madison grabbed an 8-6 lead. Junior Addy Lofstedt's kill on the next point was the first in a 7-1 run that gave NAU a 13-9 advantage, forcing a JMU timeout. The Lumberjacks maintained their four-point edge until the Dukes reeled off four consecutive points to tie the set at 17-17. After senior Janae Vander Ploeg brought the score even to 19-19, the ninth tie of the first set, James Madison scored the next three points on its way to taking the first set.

Like the first set, the second started similarly with the teams tied at 4-4 before junior Lauren Jacobsen served a pair of service aces. A JMU attack error put the 'Jacks in front 7-4, only for the Dukes to respond with three points of their own. Just when the Lumberjacks look to retake control following two Vander Ploeg kills and a block, James Madison claimed 10 of the next 11 points to take a commanding 18-11 lead as it cruised from there sending NAU into the intermission down two sets.

Eight ties and 26 points into the third set, the teams were deadlocked at 13-all until the Dukes seemingly gained control with five straight points. NAU had an answer right back scoring five of the next six points featuring a pair of Jacobsen kills that got them within one at 19-18. Vander Ploeg then hammered a pair of kills to tie the set at 21-21 followed by redshirt freshman Brittni Dorsey's first kill of the set that put the 'Jacks in front for the first time since they led 10-9. James Madison would be the first to 24 though, but NAU held off match point with a Vander Ploeg kill before Dorsey's solo block and a kill from Lofstedt staved off NAU's demise and forced a fourth set.

The fourth set was all 'Jacks as kills from Jacobsen and redshirt senior Stacia Williams to open had NAU rolling from the first serve. James Madison hung around and remained close trailing by two as late as 13-11 before the Lumberjacks scored the next five points to put the set out of reach. Vander Ploeg helped close the set with a pair of kills and NAU was aided by three James Madison errors, allowing NAU to go coast-to-coast in the fourth set to force a deciding final stanza.

James Madison wasted no time in the fifth set scoring the first four points and six of the first seven. Down 6-1, the Lumberjacks chopped into the Dukes' lead eventually taking a 10-9 lead on another kill from Dorsey. Dorsey's kill was the final in a string of four straight, but unfortunately NAU's lead was short lived as JMU quickly responded with three consecutive points of its own to take the lead for good at 12-10. A kill from Lofstedt put NAU down by one, 13-12, late in the set before the home team finished the match with the final two points holding off the hard charging 'Jacks.

"I think a lot of positive things happened today and we learned a lot about ourselves," Murphy said. "In crucial situations, we made really nice plays. What I like about this team is that we're going to stick to our goals and adversity is important for a team with high aspirations."

The Lumberjacks actually outhit the Dukes .245-.190, but 13 service errors proved to the detrimental to NAU. NAU also held slight edges in digs (88-86) and blocks (11.0-10.0).

Vander Ploeg finished with a match-high 22 kills and totaled 19 digs for her second double-double of the day. Senior Jordan Leiter registered career-highs with 53 assists and 20 digs to also notch her second double-double to open the season. Jacobsen recorded 15 kills and 16 digs for her first double-double of the season while Lofstedt added 12 kills. Williams and freshman Jordan Anderson each eclipsed the 10-dig plateau in the loss and Bock led the 'Jacks with six blocks.

NAU concludes the first weekend of play at the JMU Classic Saturday morning at 8 a.m. Flagstaff time against St. Francis Brooklyn.