FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Redshirt junior
Kaylie Jorgenson set a new career-high of 21 kills in Saturday's marathon match, but the Northern Arizona volleyball team's hard fought efforts came up just shy in a 26-24, 20-25, 25-18, 27-29, 20-18 loss to Idaho. The two-hour, 23 minute match featured 47 ties, including 32 in the fourth and fifth sets alone, with the Vandals prevailing in dramatic fashion.
"It was a great match and both teams played well," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "For the good part of the match, I thought we were in control of the points and we took great swings. If we can always be the team that goes for it like that, it will lead to a lot of success for us."
Jorgenson notched her first career 20-kill match as well as her first career 20-dig match with exactly 20 digs. It was her 11th double-double of the season and she also matched her career-high with three service aces. Sophomore
Abby Stomp also notched a double-double with career-bests of 55 assists and 19 digs as did sophomore
Sydney Lema with 10 kills and 15 digs.
At the service line, the 'Jacks tallied 14 aces – a new season-best – with five players recording multiple aces. NAU's service game, as well as an improved block, kept the Lumberjacks in step with the Vandals despite Idaho holding a significant hitting advantage at .274-.185.
"We have a direction for where we're trying to go and regardless of who we're playing, we feel we have a good shot if we keep pushing and controlling our side," Murphy said. "We want to get better and that's what we did today."
The match came down to a winner-take-all fifth set and the Lumberjacks used every ounce of fight before falling. Trailing 5-2 early, NAU tied it at 5-5 on a solo block by sophomore
Abby Akin. The teams would then trade points all the way until 10-all when NAU scored two straight to take a two-point advantage. The Vandals quickly knotted it up again at 12-all and needed six match points to finally close out the match. NAU was never able to get match point itself, but continued to answer the bell until the very end.
The first set should have been an indication of how the match would play out as it was one of three sets to go beyond the distance. A 4-0 run with Lema at the line snapped a 5-5 tie and the Lumberjacks would lead by as much as seven when they doubled up the Vandals, 14-7. Idaho would forge ahead only for the 'Jacks to use another 4-0 run to take a 23-21 lead. The Vandals got to set point first at 24-23, and after the 'Jacks briefly held off with a kill from redshirt sophomore
Victoria Ewalefo, the Vandals scored the final two points to break the ninth and final tie.
NAU evened the match in the second set, battling back from an initial 5-1 deficit. Three straight points gave the Lumberjacks just enough cushion at 22-18 with freshman
Heaven Harris and Lema hammering down the final two kills before going into the locker room. The Vandals then won the third set easily, putting them within a set win away from victory.
Again Idaho jumped on NAU, scoring the first four points, only for the 'Jacks to rattle off the next four. From there, the largest lead of the set was three with Idaho leading 19-16, but NAU tied it at 19-19 with a block by Akin and redshirt junior
Emma Grimsrud. Although another Lumberjack block got them to set point first at 24-23, the fourth stanza was far from complete. Tied at 27-27 – the 18th stalemate of the set – Jorgenson killed the ball which preceded Akin's ace on NAU's third set point.
Harris tied her season-high with 16 kills, nine of which came in the final two sets, while Ewalefo led the Lumberjacks with five blocks. Junior
Jordan Anderson reached double-figure digs with 11 and senior
Dani Westfall recorded a season-high three aces – one of three 'Jacks to reach the number.
NAU, now 6-11 overall and 2-4 in conference play, will be on the road for the next two weeks. Next week, the Lumberjacks will take on the top two teams in the Big Sky South with Portland State first on Thursday, Oct. 12, and Sacramento a week from now on Oct. 14.
