FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 22, 2022) – The Northern Arizona volleyball team's conference opening win was there for the taking until Montana stormed back for a 23-25, 14-25, 25-17, 30-28, 15-7 victory in Rolle Activity Center on Thursday. The loss was the Lumberjacks' fifth straight and NAU fell to 1-7 overall and 0-1 in conference, while Montana improved to 8-5 overall and 1-0 in league play.
"The kind of volleyball that we were playing looked a lot like we've been practicing," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "There were times that our offense looked really good for long stretches, but we look like a team that is struggling to close out matches. There was clearly a change between the second and third sets."
The loss was the Lumberjacks' second straight five-setter, marking the first time NAU has dropped consecutive five-set matches since 2019. It was also the first time that NAU dropped a Big Sky opener since 2018, although the Lumberjacks did wind up winning both the conference regular season and tournament titles that season.
In the loss, senior
Taylor Jacobsen reset her career-high in kills for the second straight match, totaling 28. She also added 11 digs to record her second double-double of the season. She was joined in double-digit kills by both junior
Jordan Elder and redshirt freshman
Kacee Moore, who both notched 11 kills apiece.
Junior
Millie O'Ketter led the team with 20 digs and was one of a season-high four players in double-figures. Redshirt freshman
Jordan Cherniss set a new career-best with 13, while Jacobsen and junior
Kate Hatch both had 11. Hatch posted her third straight, and fifth overall, double-double of the season with 45 assists.
The two teams alternated points throughout the entirety of the first half of the opening set as the 14th tie coming at 14-14. After a Montana error tied it at 14-all, Hatch recorded an ace to start a mini 4-1 run that provided NAU with some separation at 18-15. The Grizzlies managed to bring it even one final time at 22-22, but two kills from Jacobsen and an O'Ketter ace wrapped up the first set in the Lumberjacks' favor.
NAU proceeded to open the second set with a 5-1 run and went coast-to-coast in taking a 2-0 match lead. In the most lopsided game of the evening, NAU hit .353 and held Montana to .054 as a 6-0 run, featuring a pair of aces by Cherniss, effectively put the set away at 14-5.
The Lumberjacks carried that momentum into the third set and led 11-8 before the Grizzlies completely stole the momentum with a 10-1 run. Montana's extended run put the visitors in front, 18-12, and the Grizzlies ultimately stayed alive by flipping the script. Montana hit .306 in the set, while NAU hit just .116.
The night appeared to be on its way to a quick exit from there though as NAU raced out to a 7-0 fourth set lead. The advantage did not last long though as Montana pulled within 10-9 shortly thereafter and eventually snagged a 22-18 run behind a 6-0 run. The Grizzlies then got to set point at 24-21 before the 'Jacks turned on the after burners.
Two kills by Jacobsen staved off two set points and senior
Neche Newton followed with a massive solo block to tie it at 24-24. However, NAU recorded a service error on the following point, only for Jacobsen to side out again to hold off a fourth set point.
A Montana error gave the 'Jacks their first set point at 26-25, but two Grizzly kills swung the score back in their favor. NAU held off its fifth and sixth set points on kills by Moore and Elder at 27-26 and 28-27, but Montana finally put away the game with another NAU service error and a final kill.
"In the fourth set, we made some really great plays and then we made some really careless plays," Murphy said. "I felt like we're our own worst enemy right there because we were going some really great volleyball stuff. Neche's block was key and it felt like it was going to give us a lift and then I think we miss a serve. If we push through that, we've got some good things happening."
With the momentum on their side, the Grizzlies began the decisive set with a 4-1 run only for the Lumberjacks to tie it at 4-4 with a pair of points coming off blocks. A tandem block by Newton and junior
Savannah Hasson evened the set briefly before Montana silenced the energetic home crowd with an 8-0 run. Following the 4-4 tie, Montana scored 11 of the final 14 points of the match to complete the reverse sweep.
The Grizzlies outhit the Lumberjacks, .227-.201, and posted an 83-73 dig advantage. NAU, led by a five-block night by Newton, had the slim blocking advantage, 9.0-8.0, and the Lumberjacks recorded one more ace than the Grizzlies (5-4).
The Lumberjacks will head out to Ogden, Utah for their lone road conference match over the first three weeks of conference play. NAU will face Weber State, who suffered a 3-0 home loss to Portland State Thursday night, on Saturday at 5 p.m. MST.
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