FULL 2019 SCHEDULE
SEASON TICKETS (AVAILABLE JUNE 10)
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (June 7, 2019) – Coming off a Big Sky Championship season and armed with six returning letterwinners, head coach
Ken Murphy did not shy away from the competition – nor the travel – when putting together the Northern Arizona volleyball team's 2019 schedule. For the first time in program history, the Lumberjacks will make three trips to the Eastern Time Zone – including two to tournaments hosted by NCAA Sweet 16 teams – this upcoming fall.
Highlights from the Lumberjacks' 30-match slate will include the program's first-ever visits to Ann Arbor, Mich. and Gainesville, Fla. to face Michigan and Florida respectively. Both the Wolverines and Gators played into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament a year ago and finished the season ranked No. 12 and No. 11 respectively in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
The 'Jacks will also welcome an SEC school to the Rolle Activity Center for the second consecutive year during their annual Lumberjack Classic. In the Lumberjack Classic's nightcap on Sept. 13, NAU will host LSU one year after the Blue & Gold shocked Florida on its home court.
Michigan, Florida and LSU all finished in the top 100 of the NCAA RPI in 2018. NAU's first four weeks of the season prior to Big Sky play will feature three postseason teams (Michigan, Florida, Fresno State) each of whom won 20 or more matches last season and six total teams who had winning records within their respective conferences.
"This is one of those years that we return a lot of our lineup and with the progress we've made in the offseason, we're ready for a really tough schedule," Murphy said. "There are a lot of high quality teams – NCAA Tournament teams – who we are excited to compete against."
NAU's non-conference schedule is also filled with new faces as the Lumberjacks will meet seven of their 12 opponents for the first time in program history.
After NAU unofficially opens up the 2019 season at home versus UNLV, an NIVC semifinalist last year, on Aug. 24 in an exhibition match, the Lumberjacks will make the first of three trips to the Eastern Time Zone for the Michigan Challenge. NAU officially opens the season against Michigan on Aug. 30.
The Lumberjacks will conclude the opening weekend less than 60 miles north of Ann Arbor in Rochester, Mich. where they will match against Oakland and Tennessee Tech on Aug. 31.
The second weekend of the season will take the 'Jacks to South Orange, N.J. for the Seton Hall Classic. NAU will square off against the host in the tournament opener followed by Northeastern and La Salle on Sept. 6 and 7 before heading home for the Lumberjack Classic.
Along with LSU, NAU will also host South Dakota State and Fresno State. The Lumberjacks' official home opener will be against the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State on Sept. 13 at 12 p.m. followed by the showcase match against the LSU Tigers at 7 p.m. that evening. NAU will wrap up the Lumberjack Classic versus Fresno State, last season's Mountain West second-place team and NIVC participant, on Sept. 14 at 12 p.m.
"We want to build our resume for the NCAA and put together a schedule that helps us reach our potential as a team," Murphy said. "We're also really aware of bringing high-caliber volleyball teams to Flagstaff. For the second year in a row, we've been able to fill our tournament with big-name teams that our community will want to come into our gym and support us."
Before heading into the conference schedule, NAU will make a return trip to Florida for the Gators' home tournament. Last season, the Lumberjacks took down the then-ranked No. 8 Gators in Rolle. At the Florida Invitational, NAU will take on Liberty and Louisiana on the first day, Sept. 20, before taking its shot at the host for the second year in a row the following morning.
NAU will begin its conference championship defense at home versus Weber State and Idaho State on Sept. 26 and 28 for the start of Big Sky play. NAU's toughest stretch of conference play will come in mid-October with four matches in an eight-day span including three straight on the road starting with a championship rematch against Idaho in Moscow on Oct. 17.
The Lumberjacks' road trip will take them through Eastern Washington and Southern Utah before the stretch ends in Rolle against Northern Colorado on Oct. 24. Both matches against the Bears last season went the distance with each team winning on their home floor.
NAU will wrap up the regular season at home versus Eastern Washington and Idaho on Nov. 21 and 23. The top eight teams will meet in Sacramento, Calif. the following week at the 2019 Big Sky Championship hosted by Sacramento State.
The Lumberjacks will play an 18-match conference schedule for the second consecutive year and will face every team in the conference twice, home and away, with the exception of Southern Utah (road) and Northern Colorado (home).
"In my six years, I feel the Big Sky gets better every year," Murphy said. "The quality of coaching improves and the talent in conference improves. This year doesn't feel any different. Every year, there are new teams who push themselves towards the top and that's a credit to the conference getting better as a whole."
For the full 2019 schedule, click here. Season tickets at $40 general admission will be available for sale starting next Monday, June 10 by heading to
nauathletics.com/tickets.
