MOSCOW, Idaho (October 18, 2025) – The Northern Arizona volleyball team emerged from a Saturday slugfest in Memorial Gym with their fourth consecutive victory, defeating Idaho, 25-16, 21-25, 25-23, 23-25, 15-12. Despite hitting only .106 as a team, NAU upped its record to 16-5 overall and 6-2 in conference play.
The Lumberjacks were powered by
Gigi Greenlee, who compiled a season-high 14 kills on .286 hitting, while having a hand in seven blocks. Her middle blocker counterpart
Avery Gottschalk led the team with a season-high eight blocks in addition to being the only other Lumberjack to hit over .200 in the match with three kills on 13 errorless swings.
As a team, NAU totaled 15.0 blocks to stifle Idaho's attack. The Vandals (4-15, 1-6 Big Sky) hit under .100 in all five sets and only .049 for the match. NAU's 15.0 blocks were a season-high and its most in a match since Sept. 7, 2024 against Florida Atlantic.
The two teams traded runs in the opening set, the last of which was a quick 3-0 Idaho burst to close within 13-12. From there, the Lumberjacks separated themselves with six of the next seven points. Greenlee's second kill of the match started the run and consecutive aces by
Keira Hall capped the run that padded NAU's lead to 19-13 on its way to a 25-16 first set win.
The first set margin was the largest in an otherwise closely contested match that featured 25 ties and nine lead changes.
Idaho took control of the second set early, using a 5-0 run to take a 6-3 lead it would not relinquish in evening up the match at a set apiece. The Vandals led by as much as eight in the set although the Lumberjacks made it a game late. NAU used a 6-1 scoring run of its own to climb back to 23-20, but the 'Jacks only managed to stave off one set point.
Like the second set, the Vandals jumped out to the initial advantage in the third set at 8-4 and led 17-16 before the action kicked into another gear.
Kylie Moran, who finished with a season-high 13 kills herself, tied the set at 17-17 with a kill and sparked a 4-0 NAU run. Idaho responded with three consecutive points of its own to bring the set even at 20-20 before Greenlee and
Hanah Stoddard put down back-to-back kills.
After the Vandals tied the set again at 22-22 – the eight tie of the third set – Gottschalk answered with a kill. An Idaho error and a final kill by
Sophia Wadsworth closed out the third set in favor of the Lumberjacks.
Needing a set win to extend the match, Idaho seized control of the fourth set with an 8-0 run to take a 19-13 lead. However, NAU did not go away quietly, eventually fighting all the way back to 23-22. The 'Jacks managed to hold off one set point on a combo block by Stoddard and Gottschalk at 24-23, but NAU could not complete the comeback on the following point, sending the two teams to a decisive fifth set.
In the race to 15, Idaho reached the 10-point mark first at 10-8. However from there, it was all NAU after a Lumberjack timeout. Stoddard tied the match at 10-10 with consecutive kills and Gottschalk gave NAU the lead for good with a solo block. NAU proceeded to claim the next three points as well in a 6-0 run in total to reach match point.
The Vandals held off two match points to get to 14-12 until Stoddard put away the match with her final of six kills on the afternoon. NAU has now won its last matches in Moscow dating back to 2021.
Moran posted her second straight double-double, and fourth this season, with a team-high 18 digs accompanying her best single-match kill total going back to Nov. 16, 2023. Moran was one of three Lumberjacks with double-digit digs along with
Melia Barlow (12) and Stoddard (11).
In addition to setting a new season-high in blocks, the Lumberjacks also recorded their best match at the service line this fall. NAU tallied a season-best nine aces with Stoddard and Hall each totaling three.
Ella Hosfeld recorded two aces and Gottschalk had one.
NAU returns to the Rolle Activity Center next Friday, Oct. 24, to host Northern Colorado at 6:30 p.m. MST.
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