TEMPE, Ariz. (September 15, 2018) – The Northern Arizona volleyball team swept Gonzaga and snapped their three-match skid with authority to close the Sparky Classic, 25-23, 25-13, 25-18. In the process, the Lumberjacks ended the first four weeks of the season with an 8-5 record that they will take into the start of league play next weekend.
"I was impressed with our toughness," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "We had a couple of matches where we felt a little sorry for ourselves, but we really bounced back with a strong effort. We talk about establishing ourselves in a match with our defense, and you could see really early on that we were forcing Gonzaga into some things that they didn't want to be in."
The Lumberjacks controlled the match in all aspects, outhitting the Bulldogs, .292-.028, and logging 10.0 blocks in notching their third sweep of the season. NAU's 10.0 blocks – led by sophomore
Danielle Hinz's four in her collegiate debut – were its most in a three-set match this season.
Redshirt seniors
Brittni Dorsey and
Kaylie Jorgenson and junior
Sydney Lema each tallied three blocks as NAU had six players record multiple rejections.
With the Lumberjacks' big block in place, the Bulldogs totaled 31 attack errors. In comparison, the 'Jacks recorded 34 kills with freshman
Ryann Davis pacing the team with 12 kills – matching her season-best total set Friday night against Arizona State – on .600 hitting.
Davis had the hot hand early, recording five kills on five swings to guide NAU to a narrow first set win. Although NAU hit .391 and raced out to a 5-1 lead, the 'Jacks found themselves in a dogfight as Gonzaga battled back to take a 13-11 lead. Another 5-1 run started by a Davis kill snapped a 15-15 tie, only for the teams to be deadlocked at 23-23 – the 11th tie of the opener. But a Jorgenson kill and Gonzaga ball handling error lifted NAU to the early edge.
The Lumberjacks' block really got rolling in the second set, where the team totaled half of their 10 blocks. Six of Gonzaga's 10 attack errors in the set occurred during an early 7-1 NAU run that gave the 'Jacks a 9-3 advantage. NAU's lead never wavered with the Lumberjacks leading by as many as five the rest of the set.
Gonzaga would not go away without a fight as it led NAU, 14-12, midway through third set. It was there that the Lumberjacks turned the set in their favor with a 6-0 run. After the Bulldogs score two straight points, Lema started a mini three-point spurt with a kill that extended NAU's advantage to 21-16. After a Davis kill put NAU at match point, freshman
Aubrea Bandfield punctuated the sweep with an ace.
Lema (12) and senior
Jordan Anderson (11) tallied double-digit digs, while junior
Abby Stomp led the Lumberjacks with 17 assists.
Davis and Anderson were named to the All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the tournament. For both 'Jacks, it marked their first career All-Tournament selections.
"We've shown over the first four weeks that we're really capable of amazing accomplishments and part of our challenge is doing that every day," Murphy said. "The best thing about today was we gave ourselves the confidence going into next week that we have so much control of the level we play at regardless of who is on the other side of the net."
NAU will open its Big Sky slate next Thursday in the Rolle Activity Center with Idaho State at 7 p.m. The Lumberjacks will also host Weber State on Saturday at 12 p.m. during the first weekend of conference play.
