FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona volleyball team entered the week with one home win this fall. They finished it with three, with two against the conference's top two offensive teams nonetheless, following a 25-23, 25-19, 21-25, 25-21 victory over Portland State to cap a perfect weekend in the Rolle Activity Center. The Lumberjacks are now 11-12 overall and 7-5 in the Big Sky on the heels of their current four-match win streak.
"We're coming around and one of the signs is that our defense is coming together," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "We're starting to get into a little of a groove where we can lock in on some hitters and get better as the match goes on, and then turn some of those swings into points for us."
Portland State entered the match hitting .269 in conference play, but the Lumberjacks totaled 12.0 blocks and kept them more than 100 points below that average at .155. It was the third straight match in which an NAU opponent has hit sub-.200 and the Lumberjacks have now accounted for two of the Vikings' three conference losses this season.
Freshman
Heaven Harris led the Lumberjacks' presence at the net with seven blocks for the second consecutive match. Redshirt junior
Brittni Dorsey totaled a season-best five in reserve with three other Lumberjacks finishing with three apiece.
The Lumberjacks scored the final three points – on kills by redshirt junior
Kaylie Jorgenson and redshirt sophomore
Victoria Ewalefo and a block – of the first set to take the early match lead. The opener was one that was deadlocked throughout with a total of 10 ties. NAU led by as much as 18-13, but Portland State used a five-point surge to even the score. The Vikings managed a late lead, 23-22, before the Lumberjacks' late rally.
NAU's big attack advantage proved to be critical in the 'Jacks taking a 2-0 lead into the intermission. Five players, led by Harris' five kills, tallied multiple kills off sets by sophomore
Abby Stomp. NAU hit .333 as a team compared to Portland State's .128. Down 10-9, NAU gradually broke open the second set with three consecutive kills by Jorgenson, Ewalefo and Harris. The 'Jacks never trailed from there and finished the set with a 4-1 run.
The Vikings stayed alive by completely shutting down the Lumberjacks' offense behind the power of six of their 9.0 blocks in the third set alone. After totaling 36 kills in the first two sets combined, NAU recorded just nine and hit only .024. After a kill from sophomore
Abby Akin put NAU ahead 18-17, Portland State rode a 8-3 run to pull away late and extend the match.
NAU regained its offensive rhythm in the final set to put Portland State away, jumping out to an 8-2 lead and never giving up the advantage. The Vikings did rattle off six straight points to close the gap to 14-12, but a Jorgenson solo block got the 'Jacks back on track. Sophomore
Sydney Lema followed with a kill and Dorsey and Harris combined for a stuff to increase NAU's advantage to 17-12. Jorgenson's match-best 16th kill of the afternoon wrapped up the Lumberjacks' undefeated weekend over Sacramento State and Portland State – who had begun the week with a combined two conference setbacks.
"The first couple of sets we were doing everything we wanted offensively," Murphy said. "They came out (of the intermission) and stopped us a few times and really changed the tempo of the match. Give them credit, but I was really proud of our resiliency to fight a little harder for points and turn it into a defensive match. In the middle of the match, we were able to shift gears and refocus while still finding ways to be successful."
Jorgenson (16 kills and 16 digs) and Stomp (46 assists and 10 digs) posted double-double efforts with junior
Jordan Anderson leading the team with both 20 digs and three service aces. Harris tallied 14 kills and Akin finished with 11.
NAU continues its four-match homestand next Thursday, Nov. 2 versus Weber State at 7 p.m. in the Rolle Activity Center. The Lumberjacks also welcome Idaho State next Saturday for a 2 p.m. tilt.
