CEDAR CITY, Utah (October 8, 2018) – The Northern Arizona volleyball team took Southern Utah's best shots and prevailed Monday night, dealing the Thunderbirds a 27-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-17 defeat. NAU's third consecutive victory did not come easy, working through 38 ties to move to 13-7 overall and 5-2 in league play. The 13 victories matches the Lumberjacks' total from a season ago just seven matches into the conference schedule.
"Honestly, this was probably one of our best wins of the season in terms of keeping our composure and keeping our fight," said head coach
Ken Murphy, who posted his 200th career win as a head coach with 118 coming at NAU. "Southern Utah played a great match. They passed the ball well and was hard to stop, but our team kept believing and grinding out points and we were able to finish strong."
The Lumberjacks needed every contribution they could get from their lineup as the Thunderbirds took aim at their conference rival. NAU was led by freshman
Ryann Davis, who hit .393 and totaled a team-best 13 kills. Redshirt senior
Kaylie Jorgenson, who was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week earlier on Monday, finished with 12 kills, 15 digs, a pair of aces and a match-high six blocks.
Southern Utah was poised to steal the opening game, until NAU had different plans. Five straight Thunderbird points snapped a 4-4 tie, and they led for the majority of the first set from there. After a Jorgenson kill brought NAU within 14-13, Southern Utah immediately scored four straight points. The Lumberjacks did not go away, chipping away at the Thunderbirds' advantage.
Davis eventually tied it at 23-23 with a kill, and then held off Southern Utah's first set point with another at 24-24. Jorgenson then put down her seventh kill of the first game to stave off a second Thunderbird set point. Junior
Sydney Lema put NAU ahead 26-25 with a kill and Jorgenson capped the rally with an ace.
The Lumberjacks erased a three-point deficit in set two with a 10-3 run, bookended by Davis kills, to take a 19-15 lead. The run was enough for NAU to claim a 2-0 lead in the match as sophomore
Heaven Harris posted five kills in the second set, including the final two points.
The third set, won by Southern Utah, was the tightest featuring 15 ties. The key spurt came with NAU leading 20-19 following a Southern Utah service error, which was followed by four consecutive Thunderbird points. Still, the Lumberjacks nearly rallied for what would have been their third sweep in a row, staving off two set points, but the Thunderbirds held off the 'Jacks.
Junior
Abby Akin and Jorgenson each had solo blocks during a 4-0 NAU start to the fourth set, only for Southern Utah to fight back to take a 13-11 lead. It was there that the Lumberjacks tightened up their defense, forcing four Thunderbird errors during a 9-1 run that turned the set around in NAU's favor. Harris, who killed the ball on match point, finished one kill shy of double-digits with nine.
"There were little plays that we were letting go and we knuckled down; we played a little harder and a little tighter," Murphy said. "We controlled our side a little stronger and we were able to make a nice run there at the end."
NAU posted 11.0 team blocks – its first double-figure total in six matches – and recorded three rejections in the decisive fourth set. After Southern Utah hit .325 in the third set, the Thunderbirds were held below zero at -.022 in the fourth.
The Lumberjacks wound up outhitting the Thunderbirds, .244-.201, for the match.
Junior
Abby Stomp (22 assists, 10 digs) and Jorgenson posted double-doubles in the winning effort. Lema (21) and senior
Jordan Anderson (20) each recorded at least 20 digs.
After playing three matches in five days, NAU will get a break before returning to the road for a Saturday night match at Northern Colorado. The Lumberjacks and Bears will get started at 6 p.m. MST.
