SACRAMENTO, Calif. (September 29, 2018) – The Northern Arizona volleyball team landed the first blow, but Sacramento State was left standing at the end of Saturday night's five-set marathon between the two Big Sky heavyweights. Despite winning the first set, the Lumberjacks ultimately fell short in an 18-25, 25-16, 25-18, 18-25, 15-8 decision to the Hornets.
NAU (10-7 overall, 2-2 Big Sky) was led by redshirt senior
Kaylie Jorgenson and junior
Abby Akin, who both tallied 14 kills. Jorgenson and Akin also had solid matches elsewhere statistically, as Jorgenson recorded her 10th double-double of the season adding 19 digs, two aces and three blocks to her line. Akin hit .414, tied a career-high with five aces and also registered three blocks.
"Both teams played really hard and there were a lot of back-and-forth volleyball," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "There was a lot of great defense by both teams. I was pretty proud of the way we fought. If a couple of plays go a different way at the end, we get a different result but that doesn't take away the fact that the team worked really hard."
When the Lumberjacks had their offense clicking, they found success in The Nest. NAU hit a scorching .533 in the first set and .308 in the fourth set, but did not hit better than .154 in any of the three games Sacramento State claimed.
The Lumberjacks' early 4-1 lead to start the night eventually swung around to the Hornets' favor as the 'Jacks trailed 15-13 midway through the opening game. Following an NAU timeout, the Lumberjacks proceeded to go on a 4-0 run that gave them a lead they kept the remainder of the set. NAU used another 6-1 run later that put them ahead 23-17, as Jorgenson led the charge with six early kills on 10 swings.
Freshman
Aubrea Bandfield's ace put the second set score at 6-3 in the Lumberjacks' favor, but a devastating 8-0 run by the Hornets was all they needed to seize control. Sacramento State was not finished, as its eight straight points was just the beginning of a stretch where the home team scored 15 of 18 points to double up NAU on the scoreboard, 18-9. Sacramento State used four of its 12.0 team blocks on the evening in the second set to even the match at 1-1.
The third set was the game NAU let slip as Akin sparked a quick 5-1 lead with two kills and an ace. Sacramento State scored the next five points, but the 'Jacks regained their footing behind two blocks from redshirt senior
Brittni Dorsey that gave them a lead again at 9-7. NAU erased yet another Sacramento State lead, scoring four straight points to bring the set to an 18-18 tie only to see the Hornets string together the final seven points.
Any disappointment from the 'Jacks did not last long, with a 5-1 fourth set advantage not going to waste the second time around. The Lumberjacks never looked back and led by as much as nine at 18-9 following three straight kills by Akin and a kill from freshman
Ryann Davis, who posted 11 kills in the match.
That all led to a decisive fifth set where NAU came up short in its bid in snapping Sacramento State's 25-match regular season home conference winning streak. Although Akin spotted NAU a 2-0 lead with a kill and an ace, the Lumberjacks were forced to play catch-up after a 9-2 Sacramento State surge.
NAU's resolve shined one final time with sophomore
Olivia Turner giving the 'Jacks sideout with a kill. Senior
Jordan Anderson stepped to the service line and precisely served NAU to three more points, bringing the 'Jacks within 9-8. However like the third set, Sacramento State finished with a flurry winning the last six points of the match.
"We hope to take away that there were times in the match where we were definitely in control and felt like we could play some defense and get into a rhythm," Murphy said. "I need to figure out ways to help us sustain these stretches a little longer. The good parts of the match were really good for us."
The Hornets held the advantage in hitting percentage (.243-.207), kills (62-56) and blocks (12.0-8.0), but the Lumberjacks held the narrow edge – behind Anderson's match-high 27 digs – in digs (88-85). NAU also outaced the conference's leader by one, 8-7.
Bandfield joined Jorgenson with a double-double of 17 assists and 13 digs. Junior
Abby Stomp recorded a team-high 26 assists, while Dorsey led the team with five blocks.
NAU is back in the Rolle Activity Center next Thursday versus Montana State at 7 p.m. The Lumberjacks will then host Montana on Saturday during Family Weekend at 7 p.m.
