FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 20, 2022) – There seems to be no escape from the fifth set for the Northern Arizona volleyball team, as it reached the deciding set for a sixth consecutive match in Rolle Activity Center and the sixth time in eight Big Sky Conference matches.
Thankfully, Thursday night provided the Lumberjacks (3-12, 2-6 Big Sky) another opportunity to enjoy the dramatics they constantly find themselves surrounded by as they battled back from a pair of set deficits for a 20-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-21, 15-9 victory over the Eastern Washington Eagles (8-11, 3-4 Big Sky).
"We are going through these matches and there are a lot of highs and lows, so we are learning a lot about ourselves every single time we walk out here," said Lumberjacks head coach
Ken Murphy. "There's no doubt, this set is the most stressful thing in our sport. The fact that we know it can't hurt us anymore, that we can get to this point and be successful, is a pretty big thing for a team."
Down 1-0 following a first set that included four ties and three lead changes after an early 3-0 lead, Northern Arizona evened up the match with what became a dominant second set thanks to a .371 hitting percentage.
Trailing 7-4, the Lumberjacks tied the score at 8-8 with a pair of kills from
Kacee Moore, one from
Neche Newton and one from
Savannah Hasson. It was the second of five kills for Hasson in the set, part of her team-high 16 that once again reset her career high.
Tied again at 9-9, 10-10 and 11-11, with kills coming from Newton, Hasson and
Kylie Moran, Northern Arizona took the lead for good on an ace by Moran at 12-11. Growing the lead to 16-12 with
Millie O'Ketter at the line, as
Kate Hatch, Newton and Moore put down kills, the Lumberjacks pulled away in the most lopsided set of the night.
Hasson and Newton finished the second with two more kills apiece in the set, as Moran put the Lumberjacks ahead 24-16 before an attack error by the Eagles clinched the win.
Entering the night with three consecutive double-digit kill performances, the only three of her career, Hasson one-upped herself with a .522 hitting percentage on her 16 kills.
"When Taylor (Jacobsen) went out, she was one of the players we looked to that we thought could really grow her role," Murphy said. "We started pushing her in practice and she's really responded. I think even last weekend too, she's been the most consistent offensive player we have had. I am excited about the future she still has ahead of her."
Another set of ties and lead changes fell just out of reach for the Lumberjacks. Tied at 15 on a kill by
Jordan Elder, Northern Arizona fell behind 19-16 due to a pair of attack errors. Tasked with climbing back late in the set, the Lumberjacks trimmed it down to 22-21 before the Eagles pulled back ahead 2-1 with Sadie Bacon's kill to clinch the set 25-23.
Just as she had done in the second set, Hasson came through in a big way for the Lumberjacks in the final two sets.
With the Lumberjacks clinging to a two-point lead late in the fourth set, Hasson ended Eastern Washington's service twice in the span of three spots. Keeping the Lumberjacks in front at 21-18, Hasson made it 22-19 after a service error had sent the Eagles right back to the line. The latter kill was the first point of a 4-2 run to end the set, which came to an end on Hatch's quick thinking with a bump for the final kill and a 25-21 victory.
Hasson replicated the result in the deciding set, ending Eastern Washington's serve at 10-7 and at 11-8 as Northern Arizona inched toward the team win.
"She told me she wants to be a player that teams have to scout," Murphy said of Hasson. "She's that important that teams are distracted by her, and it makes everybody else better around her. To her credit, she is still about the team first and she is excited about the day when they start to scout her more."
Northern Arizona finished the night with an advantage in kills (62-56) and digs (64-57), but primarily on hitting percentage with a .270 hitting percentage to Eastern Washington's .194.
In addition to Hasson's 16, Moore finished with 12 kills and Moran added 11. Elder's nine kills and two block assists pushed her to a double-digit point total while Newton's eight kills and two block assists just missed the mark. While Elder finished with a .389 and Hatch at .357, Hasson's .522 was the highest by a Lumberjack with at least 20 attacks since her own total last week at Montana.
"This is the first time she has been able to do it in the games," Murphy said. "I think she is a little bit of a surprise to some of these teams with how much she has improved these last few weeks."
Moving into a tie for eighth in the Big Sky at 2-6 with Idaho State, Northern Arizona how hosts the Idaho Vandals on Saturday at 12 p.m. Idaho fell in three sets to Northern Colorado Thursday night in Greeley. The Lumberjacks are still just two games out of fifth place, with two teams even at 4-4.
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