MATCH NOTES (PDF)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - After more than two weeks of two-a-day preseason training sessions, the Northern Arizona volleyball team will immediately see how they match up with an outstanding weekend of competition lined up to open the 2017 season. The Lumberjacks travel to Oxford, Ohio for the Miami Best Western Sycamore Inn Invitational beginning Friday, when they play Southern Illinois at 1 p.m. Arizona time in their season opener. The following day, NAU will take on Western Kentucky at 6:30 a.m. and the host school, Miami, at 2 p.m.

All three of NAU's opponents were top 75 in the final NCAA RPI rankings last season, while Western Kentucky and Miami both made NCAA Tournament appearances.

"It's a really big test to see where we're at," said head coach Ken Murphy. "These teams are really good and they're also really experienced with a lot of returning seniors who have done a lot for their respective programs. Our talent level will match up really well, and we're going to get a really good gauge at how much progress we made during two-a-days in terms of defining our roles and understanding as a group what we need to do to be successful."

Only NAU's tournament finale against Miami will be streamed live online, with the match available on ESPN3.

The Squad: NAU's roster features six returning letterwinners, all of whom were significant contributors to last season's team that posted a 24-8 overall record and 12-4 Big Sky mark. Leading the way is the Lumberjacks' All-Big Sky middle blocking tandem of redshirt junior Brittni Dorsey and sophomore Abby Akin along with sophomore outside hitter Sydney Lema and senior defensive specialist Brooke Donnelly. The quartet combined to start 124 matches out of a possible 128 last season. Junior Jordan Anderson and redshirt junior Kaylie Jorgenson round out the Lumberjack letterwinners. Total, the team has 12 returners, two of whom redshirted last season.

New Faces: The Lumberjacks welcome in five newcomers to the program this season, a group that includes three true freshmen and two Division I transfers. Senior Dani Westfall and redshirt freshman Krystina Brice are both products of the Grand Canyon State and make the move to NAU's Mountain Campus from Division I programs. Westfall played her first three seasons at Wyoming and is expected to immediately help the Lumberjacks at the setter position. Brice redshirted her only year at Arizona and is one of a handful of new players in NAU's defensive back row. NAU's 2017 freshman class includes Heaven Harris, Saylor Frew and Kimber Kemp.

Season Opener History: The Lumberjacks have won nine of their past 11 season openers, and are 3-1 in season openers under head coach Ken Murphy. Last season, the 'Jacks dropped a four-setter to Temple in their season opener, marking just their second opening defeat since 2006.

Every Match Matters: Since 2011, NAU owns a 52-12 record against non-conference opponents, while the Lumberjacks have posted an undefeated record and claimed champion honors at 12 of their last 19 pre-conference tournaments.

NAU Quick Hits: Including all three teams this weekend, six of NAU's nine opponents prior to the Big Sky season ranking in the top 150 of the NCAA RPI last season...Ken Murphy begins the season just eight wins shy of 100 at NAU...The 'Jacks led the Big Sky in both hitting percentage and opponent hitting percentage last season, marking the third consecutive year they have done so...NAU finished up the 2016 season as the national statistical champion in total service aces with 226, which was the first time in program history that NAU led the country in a statistical category.

About Southern Illinois: Southern Illinois returns nine letterwinners and three starters, coming off a 21-12 season and a 12-6 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference. Last season was Southern Illinois' fourth 20-win campaign in the last five years. The Salukis were picked fifth in the preseason MVC poll, marking the fifth-consecutive season in which they were voted in the top five by the league's coaches. Andrea Estrada headlines the Salukis' roster after being named to the preseason All-MVC team. Estrada led Southern Illinois with 2.89 kills per set and 33 service aces and picked up second team all-conference honors in 2016.

About Western Kentucky: Western Kentucky went undefeated in the Conference USA on its way to a third straight C-USA Tournament championship last season. With its 30-3 record, Western Kentucky extended its 30-win season streak to three, its 25-win season streak to 15. The Hilltoppers have made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances since 2002 and six in the last seven seasons, and thus are the preseason C-USA favorites for the third consecutive season. Alyssa Cavanaugh, Jessica Lucas and Rachel Anderson all received preseason all-conference distinction, and the trio each picked up at least one All-American honor last season. Cavanaugh, having averaged 4.41 kills per set on .343 hitting in 2016, was selected the C-USA Preseason Player of the Year.

About Miami: Miami was picked as the overwhelming favorite to win both the Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament championships in 2017. Miami shared the regular season title last season with a 15-1 record, and finished 24-7 overall, while receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Redhawks return a whopping 13 letterwinners from their NCAA Tournament team including four starters and their libero. Miami placed two players, Maeve McDonald and Katie Tomasic, on the preseason all-conference list. McDonald and Tomasic led the team with 4.83 digs and 2.71 kills per set respectively last season.