Lumberjacks Pull Off Five Set Thriller on Senior Day

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 12, 2022) - The Northern Arizona University volleyball team ended the 2022 home slate on a high note this afternoon in the Rolle Activity Center, defeating Idaho State in five sets (25-15, 22-25, 25-18, 23-25, 15-4) on Senior Day.
 
Prior to the match, the Lumberjacks honored Kate Hatch and Jasmine West who were playing in front of a home crowd for the final time during their careers. Hatch hit .400 on the night with nine kills, 46 assists, two aces, three blocks, and seven digs.
 
The Lumberjacks hit at a season-high clip as a team at .273, garnering 61 kills and only 19 errors on 154 total attempts, and held Idaho State to .138 (57-33-174). They also tallied a season-high nine block solos. Six different 'Jacks recorded at least one block in the victory, led by Neche Newton with three block solos and Savannah Hasson with four block assists.
 
Today's win snapped a five-match losing streak for NAU, who now improve to 4-17 overall and 3-11 in Big Sky Conference action with two regular season games remaining. Idaho State, who entered the week on a three-match winning streak, fall to 13-14 overall and 5-9 in conference play. This victory also marks the seventh-straight for NAU over the Bengals.  
 
"We were disappointed with the way we played on Thursday. The main thing we wanted to do today was play with the right level of intensity and let the match take care of itself. We did a great job of that most of the match," said head coach Ken Murphy. "We had a letup in the second set and gave them momentum, and in the fourth set I really liked the way we fought back. It wasn't all about Senior Day, it was more about us continuing to grow as a team and play with the right intensity."
 
Redshirt freshman Kacee Moore paced the 'Jacks with a career-high 16 kills, while hitting .417 on the day with just one attack error. Jordan Elder was the other NAU player with double-digit kills, striking 11 and hitting .600 on the day. Along with Hatch, Keira Hall also had two service aces. Three Lumberjacks had double-digit digs in Hall (16), Millie O'Ketter (14), and Kylie Moran (13).
 
The Lumberjacks came out swinging, hitting .406 in the first set with 16 kills. They dominated the entire first set, jumping out to a 10-5 lead that built to 21-13 following a 4-0 run. Up 22-15, a kill by Newton sparked a 3-0 run to end the set, winning 25-15 for the 1-0 lead in the match.
 
Northern Arizona was off to a fast start again in the second set, commanding an 11-5 lead after an 8-0 run that included consecutive aces from Hall. The Bengals trimmed the lead to three, and eventually 17-13 before they used a 5-1 run to tie the set 18-18. The Lumberjacks pulled back out in front 20-18, only for the set to move back into a 21-21 tie. Idaho State then strung together four-straight points to lead 24-21 and would wind up taking the 25-22 victory to even the match, 1-1. The set was the closest of the night, featuring six ties and three lead changes.
 
In the third set, the Lumberjacks never trailed. Taking a 10-5 lead, the Bengals cut it down to a point and eventually tied the set 11-11. Idaho State stayed within striking distance, but NAU used a 4-0 run to pull ahead 23-16. The run was started by consecutive kills from Moore and included a service ace from Hatch. The Lumberjacks found the final two points to win 25-18 and retake the 2-1 overall lead.
 
It was all Idaho State in the early goings of the decisive fourth set, taking leads of 6-1 and 10-3. Down 18-11, the Lumberjacks started to get their groove back and used an 8-1 run to tie the set, 19-19. The teams then found themselves locked at 21-21 and 22-22. ISU found a 24-23 lead and a block by Newton and Hasson fought off set point, but the Bengals held on for the 25-23 lead to send the match to the fifth set.
 
The Lumberjacks were absolutely dominate in the fifth set, hitting .600 with 10 of their 15 points coming from kills, and holding ISU to a -.048 clip. When the teams switched sides, NAU held a commanding 8-4 lead and the Bengals wouldn't score the rest of the match. In all, the Lumberjacks ended the frame with nine-straight points and left no doubt in the 15-4 victory, winning 3-2 on Senior Day.
 
With their postseason hopes still alive, the Lumberjacks will finish the regular season with two matches on the road. First up is Idaho on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. in Moscow. NAU then makes the quick trek to face Eastern Washington on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. in Cheney, Wash.