MOSCOW, Idaho (October 30, 2021) – The duo of junior
Taylor Jacobsen and redshirt junior
Morgan Gappmayer attacked Idaho at will, leading the Northern Arizona volleyball team (9-12, 7-5 Big Sky) to a 25-21, 25-23, 25-20 sweep Saturday night. Jacobsen and Gappmayer totaled 15 kills apiece, guiding the Lumberjacks to a bounce back victory following a loss in Cheney two nights ago.
"The main thing is we have a team who really cares about being good and achieving great things," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "We knew Thursday was not our best effort, so they spent the last couple of days getting ready for tonight and thinking about how they wanted to compete. I give all the credit to them."
With senior
Aubrea Bandfield orchestrating the Lumberjacks' attack to the tune of a career-high 39 assists, NAU completed the season sweep of Idaho, while also halting the Vandals' two-match win streak.
NAU's outside hitter duo had it working from the get-go with Gappmayer recording six kills and Jacobsen posting five in the Lumberjacks' first set win. Despite hitting .415 as a team, NAU actually needed a late rally to claim the opening game.
The Lumberjacks got out to a fast 5-2 start only for the Vandals to move in front and hold the advantage for most of the set. Idaho led 20-16 before Jacobsen ripped off three straight kills to ignite a set-clinching 9-1 run. The 'Jacks tied the score at 20-20 on a combo block by senior
Ryann Davis and sophomore
Savannah Bloom.
After an NAU service error, the 'Jacks finished set one on a 5-0 run, the last point coming on Gappmayer's sixth kill of the game.
NAU carried that momentum right into the second set with Gappmayer sparking a 5-0 run with three consecutive kills, snapping a 6-6 tie. The Lumberjack advantage grew to as large as 17-9, but the Vandals strung together a furious comeback of their own, eventually tying the set at 20-20.
The Lumberjacks regained control, moving to set point at 24-21, only for the Vandals to hold off two set points. However, after an NAU timeout, Jacobsen put an end to Idaho's rally with her sixth kill of the set – a number that was matched by Gappmayer as well.
With the 2-0 lead in their pocket, the 'Jacks grabbed the third set early and held on throughout to complete the sweep. NAU prevented an extended Idaho run and essentially put the set away with a 3-0 run capped by a block from Jacobsen and Bloom.
Bloom's season-high tying sixth block gave the Lumberjacks a 21-16 lead and Davis later punctuated the sweep with a kill on NAU's first match point.
While Gappmayer's 15 kills tied her career-high set on Thursday at Eastern Washington, Jacobsen's 15 kills marked her highest total in a month.
"Taylor played really confidently and executed a lot of things she's capable of," Murphy said. "She's been playing really good volleyball recently, just not quite to her level offensively and she did a good job connecting with the set tonight and she hit the shots she's capable of."
Jacobsen hit .316 and came up one dig shy of a double-double, while also adding a block and an ace. Meanwhile, Gappmayer also recorded eight digs and a season-high tying three blocks.
Jacobsen and Gappmayer did the heavy lifting on the outside and sophomore
Jordan Elder was effective in the middle, tallying six kills on a .462 clip. Sophomore
Millie O'Ketter notched a team-high 16 digs and accounted for two of NAU's six aces.
One match after surrendering a season-worst 12 aces, the Lumberjacks allowed just two Vandal aces on Saturday, allowing Bandfield to distribute the attack smoothly.
"We're a team that needs to grow through experiences and the other night was the first off night we had in (serve receive) in a long time," Murphy said. "It was important for our team to learn from it and they did. We were very steady tonight and Idaho actually did a really good job of pressuring us with their serve, but we responded well with the way we communicated."
Following the win, NAU will head home for its final two matches in Flagstaff of the fall. The Lumberjacks' last homestand begins Thursday versus Southern Utah at 6:30 p.m. Senior Night for Bandfield, Davis and
Mara Abernethy will follow on Saturday versus Sacramento State at 6 p.m. in Rolle Activity Center.
To stay up to date with the NAU volleyball team, follow the Lumberjacks on
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