NAU Volleyball Set to Host Montana and Montana State

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Oct. 15, 2024) - The Northern Arizona women's volleyball team will host both Montana and Montana State this week in Rolle Activity Center. It will be the Lumberjack's sixth and seventh matches of their 2024 Big Sky campaign. Currently, Northern Arizona stands at 7-9,0-5 on their season record.

In the Big Sky Conference standings, Northern Arizona ranks first in digs, with an average of 16.84 per set. Libero Millie O'Ketter leads the conference with an average of 4.82 digs per set and currently has 265 this season. Taylor Jacobsen also stands in the top-10 with an average of 3.41 digs per set. Jacobsen ranks fourth in the conference for points with a 4.16 average. The Lumberjacks average 11.98 kills per set, which ranks them seventh in the Big Sky.

The match against Montana will take place at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on Thursday, Oct. 17. It will be the second landing of NAU Athletics' new alternate identity campaign, the Astrojacks. Fans can expect unique experiences and entertainment such as space-themed music, a "Crowd Constellation" smartphone light show, and fun contests. The first 150 students will receive an Astrojacks t-shirt, and the first 150 fans will receive the Astrojacks volleyball landing patch. 

The Griz currently stand 6-11, 1-5 in their 2024 season. Most recently they took on the Eastern Washington Eagles and were defeated in three straight sets 25-19, 26-24, 25-23. 

The Lumberjacks have the edge on the Griz in the all-time record with 37-36. In the previous season, Northern Arizona won its match 3-2 at home against UM but went on to lose 3-1 away in Missoula. 

Montana holds a hitting percentage of 1.77. They average 11.64 kills per set (eighth in Big Sky), 14.26 digs per set (fifth), and 2.49 blocks per set (fourth). They are third in service aces with 1.51 per set. For the Griz, Paige Clark leads offensively with 3.62 kills per set. Defensively, libero Alexis Batezel averages 4.05 digs per set. Brenley Hanson has 1.29 blocks per set.

The match against Montana State will take place at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time on Saturday, Oct. 19. So far, the Bobcats are 6-11, 4-2 on their season. They took on the Lumberjacks on Sept. 28 and won 3-0 on their home court. 

Their most recent match took place against Idaho and saw them win 3-0 at home in Bozeman. Montana State will take on Northern Colorado this Thursday. 

As a team, they hold a hitting percentage of .201, ranking fifth in the conference. They average 12.47 kills per set and rank second with 2.70 blocks per set. Offensively, Jourdain Kamps leads the Bobcats in kills with 2.70 per set. Defensively, libero Lauren Lindseth averages 4.26 digs per set and Jordan Radick averages 1.23 blocks per set. 

In the all-time record, the Lumberjacks lead 43-31 against the Bobcats. Both of the matches will be available to stream on ESPN+ along with live stats.

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