CHENEY, Wash. (October 28, 2021) – The Northern Arizona volleyball team hit .242, but struggled to slow down Eastern Washington's attack at the net and behind the service line in a 25-19, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21 loss at Reese Court on Thursday. Redshirt junior
Morgan Gappmayer did register a career-high 15 kills in the loss, which dropped NAU's record to 8-12 and 6-5 in conference play.
Gappmayer reset her career-high for the third time this season, and in the process also recorded her third consecutive double-double finishing with 10 digs along with two block solos and one ace while hitting .371.
Gappmayer's efforts was part of a mostly effective NAU attack. However, Eastern Washington hit .250 and totaled 12 aces – the most NAU has surrendered in a match this season.
The Lumberjacks' two best offensive sets on the night were the first and fourth hitting .407 and .333 respectively, but neither resulted in set wins due to Eastern Washington bettering the 'Jacks in both. The Eagles hit .500 in the first and .467 in the clinching set.
The Eagles struck first, breaking a 10-10 tie with seven straight points. The 'Jacks battled back though, scoring five straight themselves – the last two coming on aces by junior
Taylor Jacobsen – to climb within 17-15. NAU hung around as late as 20-18, but could not get over the hump with Eastern Washington closing on a 5-1 run.
After both teams attacked at will, the defenses locked in during the second set with NAU claiming its only set win of the night behind a defensive effort that limited Eastern Washington to only a .054 hitting percentage. Similar to the Eagles' run in the first set, the Lumberjacks used a massive run of their own to take control of the game.
Sophomore
Jordan Elder gave NAU sideout with a kill down 15-13, and Gappmayer served the Lumberjacks to six straight points – with four coming on Eagle errors – pushing NAU ahead for good at 19-15. Eastern Washington made it interesting late, using a mini 3-0 run to cut its deficit to 23-21, but NAU evened the match on a roll shot by senior
Ryann Davis two points later.
The third set was tight with Jacobsen momentarily giving NAU a 16-15 lead with a kill. After Eastern Washington tied the score with a kill for the 10th time, the Eagles aced the 'Jacks for the fifth and final lead change of the game. Following Jacobsen's kill, Eastern Washington went on a 7-1 run and reached set point at 24-19.
The Lumberjacks did not go away quietly though as four straight Eastern Washington attack errors – the last two on solo blocks by Gappmayer and senior
Aubrea Bandfield – helped them stave off four set points. NAU could not hold off one more though, as Eastern Washington finally put the set away on its fifth set point.
Jacobsen put down the first point of the fourth set, and that would be the only lead NAU held in the final game. Eastern Washington scored the next four and led by as much as six. After two straight points brought NAU within 17-14, the Lumberjacks would not string together consecutive points until it was too late when they held off two match points, the last coming on an ace by sophomore
Millie O'Ketter, who led all players with 21 digs.
Jacobsen was the only other Lumberjack with double-figure kills, finishing the night with 10 in addition to three of NAU's six aces. Freshman
Sophia Wadsworth did post her best hitting percentage of the season, hitting .600 with six kills on 10 swings without an error.
NAU concludes the weekend road trip on Saturday versus Idaho at 6 p.m. in Moscow.
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