FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 9, 2023) – In the final game of the Lumberjack Classic, the Northern Arizona volleyball team had to go the distance for a third time this season and, in the end, picked up its first five-set victory of the season, 23-25, 25-13, 25-17, 24-26, 15-13. Saturday afternoon's match was the Lumberjacks' (3-6) first win over a Mountain West opponent since 2021.
"I'm happy for the girls because I think that we have been getting better this weekend as each match went on," head coach Ken Murphy said. "We just haven't felt the success that you kind of need. They got the validation today that their hard work is right, and when they play our style of volleyball, they will get the results they are looking for."
As has been the case throughout most of this Lumberjack Classic, NAU had to claw back in set one, with Boise State taking an early 9-3 lead. The Broncos extended their lead to 14-6 before the Lumberjacks would begin to mount a resistance after calling their second timeout of the set.
NAU would take 10 of the following 16 points to force Boise State to use one of its timeouts. During that stretch, kills from Neche Newton, Savannah Bloom and Kylie Moran would get the Lumberjacks within striking distance but still trailing by three at 20-17. Northern Arizona would eventually tie the match at 23 before a service error and a Bronco kill sealed the opener.
Set two saw NAU get off to a quick start, taking six of the first seven points with offensive contributions from Hanah Stoddard and the stout Lumberjack defense, forcing four early Boise State attack errors in the second.
Stoddard finished the afternoon hitting .291 with 21 kills on 55 swings. Two other Lumberjacks, Moran and Sophia Wadsworth would close the day with 14 kills each.
Anchoring the Northern Arizona defense, senior Millie O'Ketter recorded 35 digs, a season-high for the native Coloradan. The Lumberjacks would also out-block the Broncos 14-13, with Wadsworth leading the way with a career-high four solos and four block assists to go along with her 14 kills.
"We talked about it in pregame that we needed our rights to step up today," Murphy said. "She [Wadsworth] definitely answered that. Sophia can be unstoppable and took a lot of swings for us today. I am so proud of how she has grown and how her game fits with our style of play."
The great start by the 'Jacks in set two would be maintained throughout, leading by as many as 11 points in the second set, forcing its opponent to hit at a clip of -.065. NAU would hit a match-best .229 in the process, evening the match at one set apiece heading into the intermission.
Both sides went back and forth to the media timeout in the third set, with NAU holding on to its first lead of the tournament, 15-12, before five of the next eight would go the Lumberjacks' way to put them ahead 20-15.
Northern Arizona wrapped up the third set by taking five of the next seven, boosted by a pair of service aces from Jordan Cherniss and kills from Wadsworth, Moran and Bloom.
A little bit of everything came about in the fourth set, seeing nine total tied scores. After splitting the first 10 points of set four, Boise State started to find its offensive game again, leading by five, 18-13. NAU would not go down quietly, eventually tying the fourth set up at 22 on the strength of six kills and forcing three offensive errors from the visitors.
Three of those nine tie scores came within the final six points, with Boise State's Annie Kaminski recording the final two kills to send the match into a decider.
Having fallen in each of its first two five setters this season, it immediately felt different after NAU took five of the first six points in the final set on two kills and two errors. Going up 2-1, the Lumberjacks would not fold, with Stoddard recording six kills in the final set, including the last one to give Northern Arizona its first home victory of the 2023 campaign.
Two Lumberjacks, Moran with 14 kills and 18 digs and Keira Hall with 27 assists and 14 digs recorded double-doubles in the victory Saturday afternoon.
Both Millie O'Ketter and Hanah Stoddard were named to the 2023 Lumberjack Classic All-Tournament Team. O'Ketter, making her second all-tournament team in as many weeks, averaged 5 digs per set during the fortnight. Stoddard led the Lumberjacks in total kills with 35.
Another Mountain West opponent awaits NAU on Wednesday night when the New Mexico Lobos come to Flagstaff. Start time on Wednesday is set for 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+. The Lumberjacks will make the return trip to Albuquerque on Friday night.
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