FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 28, 2021) – The Northern Arizona volleyball team makes their first road trip of the season, and first of two trips over the next two weeks, to Portland, Ore. to take on Portland State on Saturday and Sunday. Both matches, streamed on Pluto TV Channel 1051, is slated for a 2 p.m. MST start.
Both NAU and Portland State enter the weekend series with 1-1 records. The Lumberjacks split their season opening series with Sacramento State, while the Vikings split their first two matches with Idaho in a non-conference weekend series in Portland.
The 'Jacks experienced the highs and lows of a young roster during a promising first weekend to the spring season. With seven underclassmen, and all five true freshmen, seeing significant court time against the Hornets, the Lumberjacks swept the season opener last Sunday before falling in four sets the following night.
Sophomore
Taylor Jacobsen was exceptional in leading the Lumberjacks' attack, earning the season's first Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week award. Jacobsen averaged team-highs of 4.57 kills and 0.57 aces per set while pacing the team in hitting at .491. At the start of the weekend, Jacobsen ranks 12th in the country in kill average and 22nd in hitting percentage while sitting in eighth with 5.43 points scored per set.
All five of NAU's freshmen made an impact in the first two matches, starting with
Lyla Hollis who ranks second on the team behind Jacobsen with 2.43 kills per set.
Millie O'Ketter leads the team in digs, and ranks seventh in the Big Sky, with 3.71 digs per set.
Kate Hatch split time with junior
Aubrea Bandfield at setter and averaged 4.00 assists per set, while
Jordan Elder and
Savannah Bloom combined to hit .400 and record six blocks.
NAU's offense was particularly impressive as the Lumberjacks hit an efficient .286, which puts them 18th nationally. The Lumberjacks also rank second, behind the Vikings, in kills and assists with 12.86 and 11.71 per set respectively. In Sunday's sweep, the trio of Jacobsen, Hollis and senior
Heaven Harris combined for 37 of NAU's 50 kills in the team's first three-set match with at least 50 kills since 2018.
The 'Jacks were also strong defensively, forcing Sacramento State into 40 attack errors and a .167 hitting percentage. NAU ranks fourth in the conference in opponent hitting percentage.
Portland State took advantage of its bye week last weekend by scheduling Idaho, who was also on its bye week, for a pair of non-conference matches. The two teams played to five sets in both matches with each team coming away victorious once. Ellie Snook was sensational in the pair of matches, earning Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors after the first weekend. She leads the Big Sky – and ranks 19th nationally – with 5.60 digs per set and is a big reason why Portland State leads the conference in digs as a team at 17.20 per set.
Gabby Hollins, in her first two collegiate matches, recorded a team-best 3.50 kills per set and ranks eighth in the Big Sky following the opening weekend of the spring. Maddy Reeb notched a triple-double in Sunday's match with 10 kills, 50 assists and 15 digs. For the weekend, Reeb averaged a team-best 8.63 assists per set.
The Vikings lead the conference after the first weekend of play with 13.00 kills and 12.40 assists per set, despite only hitting .140 as a team. Portland State does rank second though in opponent hitting percentage at .127.
NAU leads the all-time series 29-21 and has been dominant of late, winning 14 of the last 17 matchups after Portland State won 16 consecutive meetings from 2004-12. In Portland, NAU has won five of the last six matches.
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