FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 7, 2018) – The Northern Arizona volleyball team proved that there is no place like home, routing Southern Illinois, 25-13, 25-12, 25-10, in their opening match of the Lumberjack Class Friday morning. The Lumberjacks (6-2 overall) made quick work of the Salukis, winning in just 73 minutes, to earn their eighth home opening win in the last nine years.
NAU will face No. 8 Florida, who swept CSUN earlier Friday morning, in the marquee match of the 2018 Lumberjack Classic later tonight. First serve at the Rolle Activity Center for the 'Jacks and Gators will toss up at 7 p.m. with the first 1,000 fans receiving an exclusive Lumberjacks t-shirt.
"I was really impressed with our focus and energy this morning," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "It would be easy to look forward to tonight (versus Florida), but I thought we were focused on this match. This is the second match in a row that I thought we played start to finish with high intensity, play defense and get into a flow."
Facing Southern Illinois for the third straight season – and picking up its third win in those meetings – NAU flexed its muscle hitting a season-best .382. On the other side of the net, the Lumberjacks forced the Salukis into 25 attack errors. Southern Illinois was held below zero at -.029, the first time an NAU opponent hit a negative percentage in almost two years to the date.
The 35 points scored by the Salukis was just one shy more than the program record for points allowed in a match, trailing only the 34 points scored by Bethune-Cookman in an NAU victory on Sept. 9, 2016 – ironically the last match that an opponent hit below zero.
While no Lumberjack reached double-figure kills, each of NAU's six attackers compiled four or more kills led by sophomore
Heaven Harris' nine. Junior
Abby Akin and redshirt senior
Kaylie Jorgenson each tallied eight kills, with Akin attacking at a career-high .800 clip.
"We received serve really well and I've been saying that we have a lot of players who can kill the ball and provide offense on any given day," Murphy said. "Today, that was evident. Long term, our key will be playing defense and controlling our side and when those things happen, our offense will come."
Junior
Abby Stomp registered 20 assists while freshman
Aubrea Bandfield totaled 16 assists in guiding the Lumberjacks' offense.
The 'Jacks trailed just twice – 1-0 to begin the first and second sets – and was in complete control of the match from the get-go. NAU posted 11 stretches of three consecutive points throughout its second consecutive sweep including the final four points of the match. Redshirt freshman
Kimber Kemp served the final three points and aced on her first serve in her collegiate debut. Junior
Sydney Lema punctuated the victory with a solo block on match point.
NAU's offensive balance was evident with different attackers leading the charge at different points of the match. Harris and Akin led NAU with four kills each in the first set, while redshirt senior
Brittni Dorsey and Lema totaling four kills apiece in the second set. Jorgenson provided the final muscle with four kills in the third set.
"We played Southern Illinois before so we knew how good they were," Dorsey said. "It was nice to get into a good rhythm. From the start our offensive really clicked."
The Lumberjacks were also aided by 12 Saluki attack errors in the final set including six over a stretch of eight points.
NAU also held advantages in aces (5-0), digs (50-39) and blocks (5.0-3.0), dominating the match statistically in every facet.
The Friday nightcap between NAU and nationally-ranked Florida will be streamed on
Pluto TV Channel 239 as well as NAU-TV.
