FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 15, 2025) - The Northern Arizona women's volleyball team closed out an incredible home slate on Saturday, taking down Idaho State 3-1 (22-25, 44-42, 25-22, 25-14) and celebrating three seniors: Keira Hall, Kylie Moran, and Sophia Wadsworth.
With today's victory, Northern Arizona is guaranteed at least a share of the Big Sky Conference regular season title. It would be the program's fourth and the third under head coach Ken Murphy, joining championships from 2015 and 2018.
"I thought we came out just a little bit affected by senior day and the emotions of it, but Idaho State did a great job of just playing loose and bringing a competitive edge to this match. It took us a while in this match to get back up, so my credit is first to Idaho State," Murphy said. "They kept us really off balance for the majority of it."
Set one featured several momentum swings, with Northern Arizona generating a steady stream of point-scoring plays despite Idaho State ultimately controlling stretches of the frame. NAU opened with a clean kill from Avery Gottschalk and later relied on timely attacks from Moran and Hanah Stoddard to stay close as ISU built an early lead. Moran delivered consecutive kills during a mid-set push that erased an 8-4 deficit and briefly tied the score, while Stoddard added two more in the same run. Wadsworth and Gigi Greenlee contributed a kill each as NAU worked to counter ISU's serving pressure. Despite several NAU attack errors at key moments, the Lumberjacks continued to produce offensively, with Stoddard adding back-to-back kills at 21-23 to keep the set alive. Ultimately, NAU's final point came on a kill from Laney Wilson, but ISU held on to take the set 25-22.
Set two unfolded into an extraordinary, marathon battle - the longest set played anywhere in NCAA volleyball this season. From the opening rallies, NAU's offense fired steadily, with early kills from Wadsworth, Greenlee, and Moran keeping the Lumberjacks level. Even as Idaho State pushed ahead, NAU's block, anchored by Gottschalk, Wadsworth, and later Wilson, produced momentum-saving stops, including consecutive blocks that shifted energy back to the NAU side. The set was remarkable in its sheer length and intensity: 27 ties and eight lead changes, with the 'Jacks answering nearly every Bengal point with one of their own. Moran delivered clutch swings throughout, while Stoddard repeatedly stepped up in transition to keep the frame alive well past regulation. Greenlee and Gottschalk added timely strikes as NAU battled into the 40s, and the backcourt, led by Barlow and Hall, sustained long rallies that kept pressure on Idaho State. After an unsuccessful ISU challenge, the set finally ended at 44-42, capping a historic, exhausting, and fiercely contested frame.
"That's definitely the longest set I've been part of by quite a long shot. Coach Sean (of Idaho State) and I both agree that it was super fun - win or lose. The teams were competing, it was going back and forth. It is one of the things that makes volleyball so great," said Murphy.
After the emotional rollercoaster of set two, the Lumberjacks kept their composure heading into the third frame. Early kills from Wadsworth, Moran, and Greenlee kept NAU within reach as ISU moved ahead 8-4, but the Lumberjacks regrouped after a timeout and immediately surged. Stoddard sparked the 11-2 turnaround with a kill, while Barlow added an ace to give NAU a 15-13 lead. The Bengals mounted a late push, tying the score at 22-22, but the 'Jacks closed out the set with kills from Stoddard and Wadsworth before a crucial block by Wadsworth and Gottschalk sealed the 25-22 win and a 2-1 match lead.
Set four was all Northern Arizona from the moment the Lumberjacks settled in, closing out the match with one of their most dominant stretches of the night. Setter Ella Hosfeld engineered a decisive surge, connecting with Greenlee and Moran for kills in a 6-0 run, while NAU's block, again led by Wilson, Greenlee, and Moran, pushed the 'Jacks ahead 9-4. From that point forward, NAU controlled every phase. A late 6-0 run, highlighted by a Hall kill to make it 21-10, widened the gap even further. With the offense rolling and the defense forcing ISU into repeated attack errors, NAU closed out the frame 25-14 on a final kill from Wadsworth, sealing a convincing 3-1 victory and completing an undefeated home season at the Rolle Activity Center.
"I am so proud of our team - for our ability to regroup and be in that moment where we were a little nervous, honestly, and feeling some anxiety about the moment. The leadership on this team has impressed me all year and impressed me again today," Murphy said.
Northern Arizona's win featured strong performances across the stat sheet, with four players scoring double-digit kills: Stoddard (19), Moran (16), Greenlee (13) and Wadsworth (12). Barlow paced the team from the service line with two aces alongside Moran and Stoddard's, while Gottschalk led the defensive stand at the net with six blocks, supported by Wadsworth and Wilson with four each. Setter Hosfeld directed the offense with 41 assists, and Hall added 18 more. In the backcourt, Barlow anchored the defense with 26, while Moran had 23 and Stoddard 18.
Northern Arizona has one regular-season match remaining, visiting Northern Colorado on Nov. 21. UNC will also host this year's Big Sky Conference tournament, held the following week from Nov. 24-26.
Stay up to date with the Northern Arizona women's volleyball team by following the 'Jacks on Instagram and X.
