NAU Volleyball Battles Weber State in 3-0 Loss

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 16, 2021) – The Northern Arizona volleyball team battled the defending Big Sky Conference champions, but Weber State emerged with a 25-15, 25-22, 25-19 sweep in the Rolle Activity Center Saturday night. The Wildcats remained perfect in league play at 8-0, while the Lumberjacks dropped to 5-3 in conference and 7-10 overall.
 
"It was a good competitive match," said head coach Ken Murphy. "They definitely won the serve-and-pass battle for sure. They got us out of system a bunch and had us scrambling a little bit. But our defense hung in and I liked the way we battled. I just wish we could've controlled our side a little better and turned those defensive opportunities into some points."
 
Saturday's showdown was a pretty clean one with only seven combined service errors and seven total blocks. The difference was in two specific areas with Weber State recording 19 more kills (55-36) and five aces while shutting NAU out of the ace column.
 
The Lumberjacks tied a season-high with 67 digs with sophomore Millie O'Ketter setting a new season-best of 22. Likewise, junior Taylor Jacobsen also set a new high water mark this fall with 18.
 
Jacobsen (11 kills, 18 digs) and senior Aubrea Bandfield (15 assists, 10 digs) both notched double-doubles.
 
Facing the undefeated Wildcats, the Lumberjacks got out to a fast start with three straight points to take a 5-3 advantage. The momentum quickly shifted though as Weber State scored the next eight and in all used a 10-1 run to steal control of the first set. Despite a strong opening set by Jacobsen, who logged five kills and nine digs, the Wildcats struck first in the most lopsided game of the night.
 
NAU regained composure though and had its eyes set on evening the match in the second game. Battling through 11 ties and four lead changes, the Lumberjacks inched forward and led 18-17 before a small, but momentum-shifting, 3-0 run by the Wildcats. Jacobsen pulled the 'Jacks back to 20-19 with a kill, but the Wildcats then scored four of the next five to reach set point at 24-20.
 
Two Weber State miscues kept NAU alive briefly, but a final Wildcat kill sealed up the second set in favor of the visitors.
 
A 6-1 opening run was all Weber State needed to complete the sweep, even after NAU ripped off four straight points to close the gap to 6-5. The Wildcats never trailed in the third set, and after freshman Sophia Wadsworth tooled the block for a kill which narrowed the Lumberjacks' deficit to 22-19, the Wildcats wrapped up the match with three straight points.
 
Weber State hit .295 compared to NAU's .192, although the Lumberjacks had much more offensive success than the Wildcats' previous opponents. Entering Saturday night, Weber State's opponents were only hitting .113 and NAU's .192 clip was the best by a Big Sky foe through eight matches.
 
Both sophomore Jordan Elder and senior Ryann Davis enjoyed efficient efforts with both recording six kills without committing an error between them. Elder hit a career-high .667 with those six kills on nine attempts and Davis hit .353.
 
NAU will remain in Flagstaff for a second consecutive week starting with Montana State next Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The Lumberjacks will then host Montana a week from Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Rolle Activity Center to open the second half of conference play.
 
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