FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Nov. 21, 2024) – It was a clean sweep for the Lumberjacks as they faced the Eastern Washington Eagles, winning 25-19, 25-21, 25-20 in the penultimate game of the regular season. The NAU women's volleyball team improves to 13-13 overall, with a 6-9 record in Big Sky Conference play, while the Eagles fall to 12-13 overall and 8-7 in conference action.
"We came into this game thinking we could side-out pretty well against Eastern Washington. We had some advantages in that phase, and I was really impressed with how we were able to execute," head coach Ken Murphy said. "We ran a good offense, kept it balanced, but obviously the big key was holding them to a really low percentage, getting our defense going, and forcing them to change the way they play..
The Lumberjacks jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the first set with kills by Sophia Wadsworth and Kendall Robertson, along with an ace from Millie O'Ketter. Eastern Washington responded with a 4-0 run to take a 6-4 lead. Northern Arizona answered with a 6-1 run, highlighted by aces from Taylor Jacobsen and Robertson, along with kills from Hanah Stoddard and Gigi Greenlee, reclaiming the lead at 10-7. A 5-1 run by EWU later in the set briefly gave the Eagles a 13-12 advantage, but the Lumberjacks bounced back with an 8-2 run to go up 20-15. NAU maintained its lead, finishing the set with a 4-1 burst to win 25-19. The Lumberjacks posted a hitting percentage of .200 in the opening set.
Northern Arizona came out strong in the second set, building a commanding 12-4 lead with kills from Jacobsen, Wadsworth, Savannah Bloom, and Stoddard. Melia Barlow and O'Ketter each contributed an ace during the run. A 5-1 run kept the 'Jacks comfortably ahead, 17-7, as they continued to dominate at the net and in the back row. Eastern Washington tried to rally late, going on an 8-2 run to narrow the score to 24-21, but Stoddard delivered the final kill to secure the set, 25-21.
The third set began with two kills from Jacobsen, one from Wadsworth, and back-to-back aces by Barlow, giving NAU a 5-1 lead. Eastern Washington clawed back to within one point at 9-8. The teams traded points until the Lumberjacks pulled away with a 22-17 lead, spurred by multiple kills from Stoddard and Jacobsen. Stoddard sealed the match with two decisive kills, closing out the set 25-20 and completing the three-set sweep.
"It was definitely all about mindset going into tonight because we were all in for this win," Jacobsen said. "We're just focused on our side, trying to play together and create some pressure, but ultimately playing as one unit. All credit to my team – they kept trusting me and giving me the ball, so I was able to be aggressive and stay high. Knowing we have trust in each other is what helps us. We're doing exactly what we need to do right now, and I think that's all that really matters."
Overall, Northern Arizona tallied 48 kills with a .275 hitting percentage, compared to Eastern Washington's 39 kills and .165 percentage. Jacobsen led the 'Jacks with 15 kills, followed by Stoddard with 13 and Wadsworth with six. Of the team's eight aces, Barlow recorded three, while O'Ketter and Robertson added two each. NAU totaled five blocks, with Robertson, Wadsworth, and Greenlee notching two apiece. Barlow led the team in assists with 21, while Keira Hall added 13. O'Ketter contributed 13 digs, bringing her season total to 428 and her career total to 1,858 - just 33 digs shy of the top spot in the NAU record book. Jacobsen narrowly missed a double-double with nine digs, while Stoddard added eight.
Northern Arizona will wrap up its regular season this Saturday, Nov. 23, against Idaho in Rolle Activity Center. The match will begin at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Standard time, with live coverage available on ESPN+.
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