FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 26, 2021) – After an unbeaten 2-0 first weekend of conference play, the Northern Arizona volleyball team heads out on the road for the first of four away from Flagstaff for a Tuesday night showdown with Southern Utah at 5 p.m. MST. Tuesday's match, which will be NAU's last in Cedar City, Utah with Southern Utah as part of the Big Sky Conference, will be streamed on ESPN+.
After playing six of their last seven matches at home, NAU will enter its longest remaining stretch away from the Rolle Activity Center, where the Lumberjacks are 4-2. Winless in five road/neutral site matches so far this season, Tuesday's matchup could be the breakthrough the Lumberjacks seek on the road. NAU has won 14 straight against Southern Utah, who will join the WAC starting next year, including six consecutive on the Thunderbirds' home floor.
"Southern Utah on the road is always a tough match for us," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "They have a great crowd and I feel they always play well against us. They have a bunch of seniors on their team, who we know from last season will put up a great challenge. We know we have a big test ahead of us and it's important for us to respond to those situations out on the road."
NAU heads into the mid-week match with momentum as one of three teams, along with Weber State and Northern Colorado, to go 2-0 during the first Big Sky weekend. The Lumberjacks improved to 4-7 overall with sweeps of Idaho and Eastern Washington, marking their first pair of consecutive three-set wins since 2019.
Junior
Taylor Jacobsen torched the Vandals and Eagles, averaging 4.67 kills per set with a hitting percentage of .365. She was a key reason that NAU averaged almost 13.83 kills per set – second-best in the Big Sky last weekend – on 3.01 hitting. Jacobsen's season average is up to 3.65 kills per set, which puts her second in the conference.
Over the last four matches in which NAU has posted a 3-1 record, senior
Aubrea Bandfield and sophomore
Kate Hatch have set the 'Jacks to a .284 hitting percentage. During this four-match stretch, sophomore
Savannah Bloom is hitting a whopping .524 with 22 kills on 42 swings without an error.
NAU has also tightened up defensively over the last two weeks, limiting New Mexico, Idaho and Eastern Washington to a combined .171 hitting percentage. The Lumberjacks' three opponents have combined for 38 more attack errors, with NAU's block a big reason for that, averaging 2.29 blocks per set in that stretch. In addition to an improved block, sophomore
Millie O'Ketter is averaging 4.29 digs per set over the last four matches.
The Lumberjacks' defense kept Idaho and Eastern Washington at bay last weekend with the two teams hitting a combined .103. O'Ketter totaled 31 digs at 5.17 per set, while sophomore
Jordan Elder recorded nine blocks (three solo) at 1.50 per set during the first weekend of conference play.
Southern Utah is one of five teams that went 1-1 in the Big Sky during the first weekend of conference play. Like the Lumberjacks, the Thunderbirds bested Idaho, winning in four sets. The Idaho victory followed a five-set loss to Eastern Washington last Thursday in Southern Utah's conference opener. Southern Utah (5-9 overall), is led by returning All-Big Sky Second Team selection Stacey Hone, who averages a team-best 2.02 kills per set. The Thunderbirds also have a pair of players in Raegen Ashby (1.07) and Carissa Richie (1.04) who rank in the top five of the Big Sky in blocks per set, as well as Calli Johnson, who ranks third in the conference with 3.87 digs per set.
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