GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Redshirt junior
Kaylie Jorgenson and sophomores
Sydney Lema and
Abby Stomp posted double-doubles, but the Northern Arizona volleyball team fell in three sets, 25-20, 25-17, 25-19, to North Dakota Thursday night. The Lumberjacks dropped to 12-14 overall and 8-7 in conference play.
"North Dakota played really good defense to start the match, especially in the back court where they were tough to get kills against," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "Unfortunately, we got a little out of sorts and we started overthinking. That affected the rest of the match, but I give North Dakota credit."
Lema tied for match-high honors with 12 kills, recording her first double-digit kill match in three weeks, while Jorgenson totaled 10 kills. However, NAU had only one hitter attack at a clip higher than .200 as the Lumberjacks struggled against the Fighting Hawks' block. North Dakota recorded 11.0 blocks, keeping NAU to only .099 hitting as a team.
The Lumberjacks actually led for a good chunk of the first set after three straight Fighting Hawk errors gave the 'Jacks an 8-5 lead. The advantage held all the way until the media timeout at 15-13 following a Lema kill, but the Fighting Hawks took flight from there. A 7-1 North Dakota run doomed NAU, igniting the home team and the home crowd.
North Dakota took a 3-0 lead to start the second set and led the entire way into the intermission. A Jorgenson kill had NAU down 9-6, but the 'Jacks never got closer although they did hold off three set points. Freshman
Heaven Harris and Lema recorded three kills to stave off defeat before North Dakota claimed the 2-0 advantage.
The Lumberjacks came out of the break with a renewed energy and held a slim 8-7 advantage off a clever kill by Stomp; however, the Fighting Hawks rattled off four straight points to move in front for good. NAU kept it close though, hanging around at 17-16 before another 7-1 North Dakota run put the match away.
Junior
Jordan Anderson led four 'Jacks in double-digit digs with 19. Jorgenson recorded 17, Lema finished with 13 and Stomp rounded the quartet out with 10. Meanwhile, redshirt junior
Brittni Dorsey had a hand in three of NAU's 4.0 team blocks.
Neither team tallied an ace though, with the Lumberjacks being held out of the ace column for the just the second time this season. However, NAU did commit eight service errors to just two by North Dakota. Four of NAU's miscues at the line came in the first set, which was just a five-point difference.
NAU makes the long trip back to Flagstaff for Saturday's Senior Day finale versus Southern Utah at 1 p.m.
Emma Grimsrud,
Brooke Donnelly and
Dani Westfall will be honored prior to the start of the match.
