INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (September 1, 2018) – Western Michigan ended Saturday morning's IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational on a 4-0 run, and effectively ended the Northern Arizona volleyball team's four-match winning streak with a 20-25, 25-21, 25-22, 9-25, 15-11 victory. The Lumberjacks fell to 4-2 overall heading into their tournament finale later this evening.
"It was a great match; both teams played at a really high level offensively," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "There were a lot of big swings and great kills. On our side, we were trying to get a few more blocks and digs to create some defensive intensity and we couldn't really find it today. Western Michigan played well and I'm proud of our effort."
Down 2-1, NAU thumped Western Michigan in the fourth set to force a decisive fifth, but fell short in the first half of its Saturday doubleheader. With junior
Abby Stomp at the service line, the Lumberjacks ripped off 12 straight points that made the score 21-5. The nine points by the Cougars were the fewest allowed by the 'Jacks in a set this season. NAU hit .500 in the fourth stanza and forced Western Michigan into 11 attack errors, which led to a -.219 clip.
The fifth set was more indicative of the match as a whole with the tournament's two Friday winners battling to six ties and three lead changes. Western Michigan gained a little separation at 9-7, but redshirt senior
Kaylie Jorgenson single-handedly managed to tie the score at 11-11.
Jorgenson put down her 16th and final kill to make it 11-10, then tied the score with a solo block. However after a timeout, the Broncos finished with a flurry scoring the final four points.
Jorgenson posted her fifth double-double in six matches, leading the 'Jacks with 16 kills and tying for team-high honors with 19 digs. Stomp (28 assists, 10 digs) and junior
Abby Akin (14 kills, career-high 11 digs) also tallied double-doubles.
Senior
Jordan Anderson and junior
Sydney Lema also recorded 19 digs.
Although NAU outhit Western Michigan, .285-.229, the Lumberjacks were outblocked for the first time this season with the Broncos holding a 7.0-5.0 blocking advantage.
NAU got off on the right foot with the first set victory, using a 4-0 run to snap a 10-10 tie and the Lumberjacks maintained their advantage the rest of the way. Despite the Broncos' match-opening .333 attack clip, the Lumberjacks hit .441 with sophomore
Heaven Harris – who finished with 13 kills – and Lema combining for nine first set kills.
The Broncos would claim the next two sets though, snagging early leads in both sets to put the Lumberjacks at the brink. NAU struggled to slow down the Western Michigan attack with the Broncos hitting .341 through three sets, but the 'Jacks found their defensive footing in a big way in the fourth.
The Lumberjacks will look to close the weekend with a victory against the host, IUPUI, at 4 p.m. MST later today.
