MATCH NOTES (PDF)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - The Northern Arizona volleyball team has just one more week before entering Big Sky play and the Lumberjacks will spend it across the Pacific Ocean in the 50th state with a pair of matches against Hawai'i this Friday and Saturday. First serve for both matches are slated for 10 p.m. Arizona time.

"Hawai'i is such a tough opponent and it's going to be a tough environment, but it's going to be great for our team," said head coach Ken Murphy. "We're going to have fun playing these matches and we'll be pushed to get better. It'll definitely help our team grow their confidence in addition to having a great volleyball experience while we're improving. We're still developing our defensive identity and while we've seen moments of it this year, we're hoping we get into situations where we put a little more pressure on our opponent."

The 'Jacks take a 4-5 record to Hawaii before Big Sky play following their Lumberjack Classic at home last weekend. NAU responded to four-set losses to Utah State and Arizona State by avenging an earlier season loss to CSU Bakersfield on Saturday. Redshirt junior Kaylie Jorgenson and freshman Heaven Harris earned All-Tournament honors for the second consecutve tourney last weekend. Jorgenson is averaging a team-best 3.38 kills per set, which ranks seventh in the Big Sky, and has recorded double-digit kills in every match so far this season. Harris is coming off a season-best performance of 16 kills on .600 hitting against CSU Bakersfield, upping her season numbers to 2.59 kills per set and a .379 hitting percentage. Redshirt sophomore Victoria Ewalefo also had a strong Lumberjack Classic hitting .452 across three matches and averaging 2.00 kills per set to go along with 11 blocks. Ewalefo leads the Big Sky in hitting percentage this season at .400 having started the last six matches.

Both matches this weekend can be streamed online at this link.

Last Time on the Islands: NAU last played at Hawai'i three years ago when it dropped a pair of matches. The Lumberjacks fell to the Rainbow Wahine, 25-18, 25-15, 25-18, on Sept. 19, 2014 and hit only .137 in the match. Lauren Jacobsen led the 'Jacks with 12 kills that evening while Taylor Stephens was part of three of NAU's 6.0 team blocks. The following evening, Hawai'i swept NAU again, 25-20, 25-23, 25-18, but the Lumberjacks were a completely different team. NAU hit over 100 points better at .254 and actually outblocked Hawaii, 6.0-5.0. Jacobsen and Sydney Kemper both posted nine kills in the second meeting. None of the current Lumberjacks played in either of those two matches. The only three who were on the team in 2014 are redshirt juniors Brittni Dorsey, Emma Grimsrud and Jorgenson. All three redshirted their true freshman seasons that year.

Beep Beep: Last Saturday, NAU finally got the best of CSU Bakersfield, putting an end to the Roadrunners' reign over them. In the last year, CSU Bakersfield had defeated NAU twice including just a week earlier on Sept. 2 at the Hampton Inn Jackrabbits Invitational. The 'Jacks actually dropped the first set, but proceeded to take the final three sets to end their own home tournament - the Lumberjack Classic - with a win over the thorn in their side. Jorgenson and Harris led the Lumberjacks' charge to victory with the best offensive performances to date. Jorgenson came up one kill shy of her first 20-kill match, but did wind up with a career-high 19. Harris hit .600 and posted her best kill total of her career with 16. The Roadrunners tallied 32 attack errors and the Lumberjacks held them to only a .135 hitting percentage for the match.

Recipe for Success: The Lumberjacks pride themselves on service pressure and their blocking, which then leads to their efficient offensive systems so it should be no surprise that those three elements have been key to their success early in the season. When NAU has held the advantage in service aces, it has a 4-1 record. The Lumberjacks have also lost just one match (3-1) when they have outblocked their opposition. When NAU has outhit its opposition, the 'Jacks are 3-0. The win-loss splits are drastic with the Lumberjacks hitting .244 and averaging 2.27 aces and 1.93 blocks per set in wins while hitting only .190 with 1.00 aces and 1.63 blocks per set in losses.

Every Match Matters: Since 2011, NAU owns a 56-17 record against non-conference opponents, while the Lumberjacks have posted an undefeated record and claimed champion honors at 12 of their last 22 pre-conference tournaments.

NAU Quick Hits: Ken Murphy is just four wins shy of 100 at NAU...Senior Brooke Donnelly ranks third in the Big Sky Conference with 4.35 digs per set...Sophomore Abby Akin is No. 31 nationally in aces per set (0.52)...She has five matches with multiple aces this season after not recording a single ace last season...The Lumberjacks have three players in the top 10 of the conference in hitting percentage...Behind Ewalefo, Harris (.379) and Akin (.339) rank fourth and seventh respectively...Sophomore Abby Stomp and Jorgenson are the only two players, along with Donnelly at libero, to start every match this season.

About Hawai'i: Hawai'i was the preseason favorite in the Big West Conference poll and started the season at No. 20 in the AVCA National Rankings. The Rainbow Wahine also have a 4-5 record, but four of their losses have come to ranked teams. Last weekend, Hawai'i picked up victories over Baylor and Nevada during its Outrigger Resorts Volleyball Challenge after falling in five sets to No. 10 BYU. McKenna Granato is the team leader in kills at 4.25 per set while Emily Maglio is second at 2.72 kills per set. Maglio is hitting a team-best .366 and also leads the team with 1.42 blocks per set.