OREM, Utah (September 3, 2022) – The first set slipped away from the Northern Arizona volleyball team and the two-time defending WAC Tournament champions took it from there as Utah Valley pulled off a 25-23, 25-17, 25-15 sweep on Saturday. The Wolverines (3-3) claimed their own Utah Valley Invitational title with the victory, while the Lumberjacks (1-4) dropped their second consecutive match of the weekend.
NAU led the opening set by as many as four points and as late as 23-22 before Utah Valley clawed back to end the set with a 3-0 run. After the first set loss, NAU's only leads the rest of the match were 2-1 and 3-2 in the second game.
Following a strong defensive start, the Lumberjacks struggled to contain the Wolverines as the home team hit .423 in the final two sets including .536 in the second set. Utah Valley finished the match hitting .349, while NAU hit just .152. The Wolverines held advantages in every statistical category except aces as the Lumberjacks recorded six to the Wolverines' five. It was the fifth consecutive match this season that NAU posted more aces than its opponent.
"We had some really good pressure early on, especially with our serve," said head coach
Ken Murphy. "Millie (O'Ketter) did a great job scoring on a run and put us in a position to win that (first) set. Honestly, after that I really think Utah Valley started playing at a really high level. With the players that we have out right now, it made it really tough so I give Utah Valley credit. We just have to get healthy and get our matchups right."
Senior
Taylor Jacobsen once again led the team with 15 kills, while redshirt freshman
Jordan Cherniss was second with five. Junior
Millie O'Ketter paced the 'Jacks with 12 digs and she recorded three of NAU's six aces.
Jacobsen and O'Ketter were named to the Utah Valley Invitational All-Tournament Team. Jacobsen averaged 5.17 kills, 2.17 digs and 1.00 blocks per set and O'Ketter averaged 4.83 digs per set over the last two days in Orem.
O'Ketter was the catalyst for NAU's early momentum-shifting run with all three of her aces coming during a 6-0 run that immediately followed a 5-0 Utah Valley surge. The run gave the Lumberjacks an 11-8 lead that they held until the Wolverines tied the first game at 17-17.
The Wolverines then moved ahead 21-18 only to see the Lumberjacks move back out in front 23-22 courtesy of a 4-0 run. NAU could not close out the set though as a Utah Valley kill tied it up for the seventh time and a pair of Lumberjack errors provided the first set's final margin.
Utah Valley took the lead early in the second set, 5-3, and led the rest of the way, although the final score was not indicative of the first half of the game. NAU hung close with Utah Valley and trailed just 14-13 following a combo block by Cherniss and junior
Savannah Hasson, but an ensuing 7-1 Wolverine run all but put the set away.
The third set was defined by another Wolverine run, this time a 6-1 run that broke open what was only a 7-6 Utah Valley edge. The lead then ballooned up to 20-11 following five consecutive Wolverine points as Utah Valley eventually wrapped up its third straight victory.
Before heading back to Flagstaff, NAU will stop in Cedar City, Utah for a Labor Day matinee. The Lumberjacks will face former Big Sky rival Southern Utah at 12 p.m. MST on Monday where they will aim to get back into the win column.
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