MISSOULA, Mont. (November 14, 2019) – Junior
Heaven Harris carried the Northern Arizona volleyball team through four sets before freshman
Neche Newton served as the closer in NAU's 20-25, 25-21, 25-17, 17-25, 15-10 victory over Montana Thursday night in Dahlberg Arena. The victory was the Lumberjacks' third consecutive as they upped their record to 17-10 overall and 10-5 in league play.
Harris, in just her third game back from injury, tied her career-high with 19 kills and hit .311 to pace the 'Jacks offensively. Her 19 kills were the most by a Lumberjack this season as she continues to work her way back following her lengthy absence.
"This is the best she's been since she's been back," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "She took some really good swings and she touched a lot of balls with her block. We know how impactful Heaven is when she's at full strength and I think she's getting closer every match."
While Harris did the heavy lifting for most of the match, the Lumberjacks received a spark from Newton in the decisive fifth set. Her solo block gave the 'Jacks an 8-5 lead at the changeover and she added three more blocks and a kill during NAU's match-clinching 6-2 run.
Newton finished the match with a season-high five kills on nine swings without an error, resulting in a season-best .556 hitting percentage, and a team-high six blocks.
"Neche had an up-and-down match at times, but what was great was that she kept refocusing on the things that make her successful," Murphy said. "For her to do that, especially in the fifth set to pad our lead, was so big. Tonight was the most impact she's had on a match in her career."
For the second time this season, NAU and Montana battled it out for five full sets, and the end result was just as it was the first time with the Lumberjacks prevailing. However, NAU needed to regroup after the opening set belonged to the home team.
Montana controlled the match from the first serve getting out to a 10-4 lead and never letting NAU into the game. The 'Jacks were only able to get as close as four points and they were limited to .067 hitting in the first game. On the flip side, Montana had 16 kills compared to just nine for NAU.
Senior
Abby Akin's first of her season-high tying four aces gave NAU its first lead of the match, 5-4, early in the second set, but Montana used a 3-0 run to snap a 9-9 tie. The Grizzlies remained in front until the Lumberjacks went on a 5-1 run to move in front, 22-19. After the Grizzlies answered with consecutive points to close within one, the Lumberjacks wrapped up the set with a kill by sophomore
Aubrea Bandfield, an ace by freshman
Taylor Jacobsen and a block by Akin and senior
Sydney Lema.
After struggling offensively in the first set, NAU hit .323 to even the match and then proceeded to hit .306 in the third stanza. Still, the Lumberjacks needed a strong run to close out the third set as they were locked in another close set. Leading 17-16, Akin started a clinching 8-1 run with a kill. Akin added two aces at the service line and sophomore
Ryann Davis recorded three kills during the run to put the Lumberjacks within a set of victory.
Montana refused to go quietly, seizing control with a 10-2 run following a Davis kill that helped NAU close to 7-6 in the fourth set. At the end of the run, Montana led 17-8 and the Grizzlies forced a winner-take-all game by hitting .421 in the set.
Back-to-back kills by Akin and Lema put NAU in front for good, 5-4, but Montana remained close until Newton flexed on the Grizzlies late. With NAU holding a slim 10-8 lead, Newton put down three straight blocks – one with Harris and two with Jacobsen – to extend the Lumberjacks' advantage. She added a kill for good measure to side out for NAU at match point, 14-10, and Montana's attack error sealed up the victory for the 'Jacks.
While the hitting percentages were close with Montana at .232 and NAU at .231, the Grizzlies recorded 10 more kills than the Lumberjacks (69-59). However, NAU committed six fewer attack errors, doubled up Montana in service aces (6-3) and posted three more blocks (11-8).
"Montana passed well and dug well and they were really hard to defend," Murphy said. "Their hitters were hitting good shots and they were hitting hard. The first set, they caught us off guard, but we made some adjustments in the second set and got our offense going. But the whole night was tough and I give a lot of credit to Montana."
Jacobsen and Davis both recorded 10 kills to back Harris' 19. Four players, led by Jacobsen's 24, notched double-digit dig totals including senior
Abby Stomp, who tallied her first double-double of the season with a team-high 27 assists and a season-best 13 digs.
Along with Newton, Akin fueled the Lumberjacks' blocking with five blocks of her own to move within five of 500 for her career. She also moved into eighth all-time in career aces on Thursday with her four bringing her career total to 109.
NAU plays its final road match of the regular season on Saturday at Montana State at 7 p.m. The Lumberjacks will seek to avenge their only home loss of the season to the Bobcats back on Oct. 10.
