FULL 2021 SCHEDULE
PURCHASE SEASON, SINGLE GAME TICKETS
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (July 20, 2021) – The 2021 Northern Arizona volleyball schedule is not short on marquee names and NCAA Tournament teams as announced by head coach
Ken Murphy on Tuesday. As the Lumberjacks return to non-conference play after playing a Big Sky-only schedule this past spring, NAU's first four weeks of the season will surely prepare the 'Jacks for a run towards the Big Sky Championship beginning with the opening weekend of the fall.
Just shy five months since last taking the court in the spring, the Lumberjacks will head east to the Bayou for their most challenging season-opening tournament, maybe ever. After opening the season against Florida State on Friday, Aug. 27 – the first of three matches in three days – NAU will also face host LSU and Michigan on Saturday, Aug. 28 and Sunday, Aug. 29 respectively.
"This is the hardest schedule we've had since I've been at NAU," Murphy said. "We're going to face a lot of teams who win a lot of matches and are going to be great in their conferences. The first weekend is going to be hard as it can get and our team has this mentality that they want to play highly-ranked teams and teams who will play in the NCAA Tournament so we can prove to ourselves where we are."
The opening trip to Baton Rouge, La. will mark the first time NAU will match up against multiple Power Conference teams in the first weekend since taking on Mississippi State and Oregon State, along with Gonzaga, in 2003.
Both Florida State and Michigan were nationally-ranked last season with the Seminoles just missing out on the NCAA Tournament following a 14-5 campaign that had them fifth in the ACC with a 9-5 conference record. The Lumberjacks took the Wolverines, who were ranked No. 15 at the time, to five sets two years ago, and memorably swept LSU on their home court that same year.
Staying out east, NAU will play a mid-week match at Nicholls State on Aug. 31 before making its way to Nacogdoches, Texas for Stephen F. Austin's tournament from Sept. 2-4.
While the opponents – Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Louisiana – are far from the household names from the week prior, NAU's second weekend foes combined for a 54-18 record last season. Each team placed in the top three of their respective conferences, while Stephen F. Austin won the Southland Conference regular season title. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi wound up winning the conference tournament to earn the league's auto bid to the NCAA Tournament.
After two weeks on the road, the Lumberjack Classic returns to the Rolle Activity Center during the weekend of Sept. 10-11 as NAU officially welcomes fans back to its home gym for the first time in two years.
Fans will be treated to an exciting two days of volleyball with Arizona State, UC Davis and Utah Valley traveling to Flagstaff. The Lumberjacks' home opener is slated for 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 10 versus UC Davis before the nightcap against the in-state Sun Devils at 7:30 p.m. The Lumberjack Classic concludes with NAU hosting Utah Valley, the reigning WAC Tournament champion and NCAA Tournament participant, the following day at 2 p.m.
"Our tournament is going to be tough," Murphy said. "Obviously there is no replacing our home atmosphere, and our players – everybody – missed it. We're looking forward to showing how much we've improved over the last year and where we are as a team in a high-quality tournament."
The Lumberjacks' non-conference schedule wraps up with a home-and-home against New Mexico. The two teams will serve it up in Rolle on Sept. 16 before the rematch in Albuquerque, N.M. on Sept. 18.
NAU opens Big Sky play – and wraps up a stretch of six of seven at home – on Sept. 23 and 25 versus Idaho and Eastern Washington. The two matches will be the first of a 16-game conference slate that will have NAU playing each conference opponent twice except for Northern Colorado, Portland State, Montana State and Montana.
The Lumberjacks will play those four teams just once with road trips to Northern Colorado and Portland State and home matches versus Montana State and Montana. Among the teams NAU will play twice is the defending Big Sky champions Weber State, first at home on Oct. 16 and then in the final weekend of the season on Nov. 11.
NAU's home finale will be versus Sacramento State on Nov. 6 before closing out the regular season at Weber State and Idaho State the following weekend. The conference tournament, which will be at a site to be determined, will run from Thursday, Nov. 18 through Saturday, Nov. 20.
"We won't be surprised once we get to conference after our preseason," Murphy said. "We would have played really good teams and prepared our team the way we want to going into conference. We know there are a ton of challenges out there in the Big Sky, but we won't be surprised by it."
This fall, NAU is planning for full capacity inside Rolle Activity Center after playing without fans in the spring. Both season tickets and single game tickets are on sale now at this
link and questions can be directed to
LumberjackTicketOffice@nau.edu. Season tickets can be purchased for $50 and single game tickets are available at $10, fees included.
To stay up to date with the NAU volleyball team, follow the Lumberjacks on
Twitter and
Instagram.
