FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 20, 2018) – Down two starters, the Northern Arizona volleyball team's fight – and block – was large, but the Lumberjacks fell just short in their Big Sky opener Thursday night to Idaho State, 30-28, 23-25, 26-24, 22-25, 15-8. NAU totaled a season-high 18.0 blocks in the tough five-set defeat in the Rolle Activity Center, falling to 8-6 overall and 0-1 in the Big Sky.
"It was a great battle; both teams played hard," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "Idaho State did a couple of things that were tough for us, but we adjusted and got better as the match went on. Brittni (Dorsey) had a bigger role and she responded well. Olivia (Turner) came in and swung well. I was impressed with those two."
Redshirt senior
Brittni Dorsey was dominant both offensively and defensively, recording her first career double-digit kill match. She totaled 13 kills on 18 swings, hitting .722, and was in on exactly half of the Lumberjacks' team blocks. Her nine stuffs tied a season-best.
Several other Lumberjacks posted career-best performances starting with freshman
Ryann Davis, who led the 'Jacks with 16 kills on .394 hitting percentages – both of which were easily the best of her freshman season. Redshirt senior
Kaylie Jorgenson had three solo blocks among her career-high eight total rejections and just missed out on a triple-double with 10 kills and 20 digs to add to her line.
In her first extended action, sophomore
Olivia Turner came on in relief to notch eight kills and 14 digs. Sophomore
Danielle Hinz made the most of her first career start to register a career-high six blocks.
The match was as closely contested on the scoreboard (35 ties, 14 lead changes) as it was on the stat sheet. Idaho State held a slim advantage in hitting percentage, .225-.223, but NAU had one more dig, 86-85. Senior
Jordan Anderson (26) and Jorgenson (20) tallied 20-dig efforts.
Despite holding the momentum after winning the fourth set, the Lumberjacks ultimately could not sustain it. NAU managed to erase a 7-5 fifth set deficit with three straight points, taking an 8-7 lead into the court changeover, only for Idaho State to roll off the final eight points of the match to steal a win in the Rolle Activity Center.
NAU blitzed Idaho State to open the match, jumping out to a 9-3 advantage. The Bengals showed resiliency and was actually first to get to set point, 24-23, where a block by Dorsey and Davis momentarily staved off set point. Two Jorgenson kills gave the Lumberjacks two opportunities at clinching the first set at 26-25 and 27-26, but the Bengals would edge out the evening's opener on their third set point.
Davis and Dorsey combined for nine kills to propel NAU to a match-tying second set win, leading a Lumberjack attack that connected on its best percentage of the night at .286. A brief 4-1 run pushed the 'Jacks ahead, 13-11, and NAU was able to hold off another late push by Idaho State.
Like the first set, the Lumberjacks let an early lead get away from them in dropping the third set. Sophomore
Heaven Harris contributed a pair of kills during an 8-4 set-opening run, only for Idaho State to go on a 5-0 run that put NAU behind, 16-13. Harris and Hinz immediately answered with a block that started a 4-0 NAU run, but NAU's response was short-lived. The Lumberjacks did hold off a pair of Bengal set points to tie the score at 24-24 though, but the Bengals claimed the next two points to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
NAU had to dig deep to extend the match as Idaho State rallied with four consecutive points to erase a sizeable 22-18 Lumberjack lead late. However, the Lumberjacks sided out on a Bengal service error at 22-22, and Davis followed with a kill. Dorsey and Jorgenson roofed Idaho State on the ensuing point to send the teams into the decisive final game where the Bengals would show their mettle at the end.
Junior
Abby Stomp tied a season-high with 28 assists, while freshman
Aubrea Bandfield totaled 22 assists.
The 18.0 blocks were the Lumberjacks' most since they totaled 20.0 against Portland State on Oct. 29, 2016.
NAU will take its second shot at its first Big Sky victory on Saturday versus Weber State in Rolle at 12 p.m.
