FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 4, 2018) – The tacos were served, the pep band was rocking and the Northern Arizona volleyball team went to work Thursday night. In fact, the Lumberjacks made quick work of Montana State, sweeping the Bobcats, 25-13, 25-12, 25-21, in the Rolle Activity Center to improve to 11-7 overall and 3-2 in the Big Sky.
Feeding off the energy in Rolle, NAU used its defensive intensity to fuel its second-best offensive match of the season. The Lumberjacks hit .373 and totaled 47 kills – resetting their highest output for a three-set match just a week after doing so in a sweep at Portland State. NAU outblocked Montana State, 8.0-3.0, and held the digs advantage, 52-41, to frustrate the Bobcats into only .061 hitting.
"When we get locked in on defense and we're anticipating everything that our opponent is doing, it flows into everything we do," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "We pass better, we serve better and we obviously run our offense better. Knowing that is a key, it's important for us to recognize that we need to come into matches prepared to play defense. You can see how impactful that can be on a match."
With the National Taco Day festivities in full effect, the Lumberjacks sliced and diced the Bobcat defense, particularly in the second set when they hit .467. Redshirt senior
Kaylie Jorgenson hit a season-best .478 and led the Lumberjacks with 12 kills. She also totaled her 11th double-double, also leading the team with 14 digs.
Sophomore
Heaven Harris set the tone for the match, totaling five kills of her eight kills in the first set. Montana State actually played NAU close, as the Lumberjacks' lead was just 9-7 before a massive run changed the complexion of the first game. Junior
Abby Akin started a 7-0 run with a kill and junior
Sydney Lema, playing in her first match in two weeks, took the baton. Lema, responsible for two of NAU's three aces, served six consecutive points and the rout was on.
Lema's serving proved to be an issue for Montana State all night, as she opened the second set at the line serving four straight points. Freshman
Ryann Davis, who hit .412 on Thursday, contributed two kills during the 4-0 run and NAU never trailed in the second set. The Lumberjacks went on another 5-0 run to extend their lead to 10-3 with Jorgenson killing four balls, and redshirt senior
Brittni Dorsey and Harris combining for a block.
Montana State came out of the intermission with some fire and led 7-5 before Lema and Jorgenson tied the score with kills. After an NAU service error gave Montana State its final lead of the match, 8-7, the Lumberjacks scored six of the next seven points and never trailed again. The Bobcats remained within one at 18-17 late, but the 'Jacks pulled away, clinching the match on an emphatic kill by Davis on match point.
"In the first two sets, we played every point hard and didn't think too much about the score," Murphy said. "In the third set, we had a little let-up in our defense, but the team kept siding out and running our offense. Some teams could get unsettled, but we kept our composure and finished them off."
Junior
Abby Stomp and freshman
Aubrea Bandfield each recorded 21 assists, while setting five of NAU's hitters to individual attack percentages of .286 or higher. NAU's right side hitters, Davis and Harris, both tallied eight kills while the Lumberjack middle blocks, Akin and Dorsey, each added seven kills.
Dorsey and Akin combined for five solo blocks, and each had four blocks total. Jorgenson and senior
Jordan Anderson (13) were the 'Jacks with double-digit digs.
"The band totally helped us with our energy tonight," Akin said. "We fed off them and they fed off us, and they were our support system. Tonight, we played our game and we got better within the match. That's what we wanted to do."
NAU will host Montana on Saturday night in Rolle at 7 p.m. The Grizzlies defeated Southern Utah Thursday night in five sets and heads into Saturday as one of three teams atop the Big Sky standings with a 4-1 conference record.
