Lumberjacks Get Back on Track with 3-0 Sweep of Montana

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 23, 2021) – Behind their most efficient offensive performance in a month and their best blocking effort in nearly two, the Northern Arizona volleyball team swept Montana, 25-12, 28-26, 25-21 on Saturday. The win capped a four-match homestand and pushed the Lumberjacks' record to 8-11 overall and 6-4 in conference play.
 
"We played with a lot of composure at times today," said head coach Ken Murphy. "Montana was good. I think this is the best team they've had in a few year, at least from what we've seen. They have good athletes, they control the ball well and play good defense. We knew we had our work cut out for us and I thought we were ready to play today."
 
Five of NAU's six hitters hit .300 or better with senior Aubrea Bandfield (20 assists) and sophomore Kate Hatch (15 assists) setting the Lumberjacks to a .305 hitting percentage – their highest clip since hitting .327 versus Eastern Washington on Sept. 25.
 
On the flip side, NAU recorded 12.0 blocks, its second-best total of the year, in a monster defensive performance at the net. For the second consecutive match, sophomore Jordan Elder matched a season-high of seven blocks to lead all players. Freshman Sophia Wadsworth recorded a career-high six and junior Neche Newton had five, as NAU ultimately forced 25 Montana attack errors.
 
The Grizzlies hit only .045, marking the second-lowest hitting percentage by a Lumberjack opponent this season.
 
Although NAU swept, and played a convincing first set, Grizzlies held tough, forcing the 'Jacks to overcome an 8-0 second set deficit and erasing an eight-point deficit themselves in the third set down to one point late.
 
"We've been a little inconsistent on how we've been starting matches, and today we were ready," Murphy said. "But obviously we were still a little up and down. We started the second set pretty slow, but I'm glad we had the maturity to work our way back. That's a great sign for a team moving forward, that we weren't worried being down. We've got to keep learning how to play at our level the entire match."
 
Despite the final score of the opening set, there were six ties up to 7-7 before NAU erupted for an 8-1 run. That put the Lumberjacks in motion as they cruised from there, limiting the Grizzlies to only five kills, which redshirt junior Morgan Gappmayer matched on her own. Junior Taylor Jacobsen also added four kills with NAU hitting .423 in the first set.
 
Montana stole the momentum to start the second set, stunning NAU with an 8-0 start. Yet, the Lumberjacks slowly chopped away with a pair of aces by Jacobsen – among her four for the match – pulling them within 22-20. After a brief Grizzly sideout, NAU regained sideout and Elder put the 'Jacks at set point, 24-23, with a solo stuff.
 
However, Montana staved off two set points and got to set point itself at 26-25, before Gappmayer evened the score for the last time with a kill. Wadsworth finished off the massive rally with two kills, giving NAU a 2-0 match lead.
 
NAU scored the first three points of the third game and never trailed, although Montana made the Lumberjacks work to complete the sweep. A 5-0 run pushed the Lumberjacks' lead out to 10-3 and they led by as much as eight, 13-5, following a Newton kill.
 
Similar to what NAU did in the second set, Montana did in the third though, as the Grizzlies methodically strung together points and on three occasions late, were within a point of tying. The last came at 22-21 before NAU sided out on a Montana error. Elder and Gappmayer combined for the Lumberjacks' 12th and final block on the next point and NAU wrapped up the sweep on another Montana attack that landed wide.
 
"We honed in on what we do every single day," said Gappmayer, who recorded her second double-double of the weekend with 12 kills and 11 digs while hitting .375. "We can't focus on who is on the other side of the court and we focus on us. We had a really good practice yesterday and said, let's do this and that's what we did today."
 
Behind Gappmayer, Jacobsen finished with nine kills to go with her four aces. Senior Ryann Davis was errorless for the seventh time in 10 Big Sky matches, totaling seven kills and hitting .538.
 
Wadsworth, Newton and Elder combined to hit .357 with 13 kills between them to round out the offense.
 
Sophomore Millie O'Ketter led all players with 14 digs to pace a 45-37 dig advantage for the 'Jacks.
 
Up next, NAU heads out on the road to Eastern Washington and Idaho. The Lumberjacks will play the Eagles first on Thursday in Cheney, Wash. before the short trip to Moscow, Idaho on Saturday. Both matches will start at 6 p.m.
 
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