FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Sept. 11, 2025) - The Northern Arizona women's volleyball team started off its home tournament on a high note, sweeping UC San Diego 3-0 (28-26, 25-21, 25-15).
The Lumberjacks move to 5-2 on their season while the Tritons drop to 1-6.
In the first set, Northern Arizona opened with steady momentum, taking an early 9-4 lead behind kills from Hanah Stoddard, Gigi Greenlee, and Masina Perez. UCSD responded with a scoring run of their own, eventually tying the set at 10-10 and then pulling ahead 15-19. Facing a five-point deficit at 15-20, NAU mounted a critical comeback with strong blocking from Greenlee and timely errors by UCSD, tying the set at 20-20. The teams traded points deep into the set, reaching 25-25. From there, NAU pulled ahead with kills from Sophia Wadsworth and Stoddard, closing out the set 28-26.
The second set saw the Lumberjacks again take early control, building momentum after a 4-4 tie to go on a 4-0 run, pushing ahead 8-4. Strong play from true freshman Laney Wilson and Stoddard, including a service ace and several forced UC San Diego attack errors, helped NAU extend its lead to 13-7. Stoddard continued to produce offensively with kills assisted by Keira Hall, and Greenlee added key points to maintain a solid buffer. Though UCSD closed the gap to 19-18, NAU regrouped during a timeout and responded with a 3-0 run, including a kill by Avery Gottschalk. After trading a few final points, NAU sealed the set 25-21 on a UCSD attack error blocked by Wadsworth.
To start set three, Northern Arizona broke open a 2-2 tie with a dominant six-point run, sparked by Greenlee's kill and back-to-back attack errors by UC San Diego. Greenlee and Gottschalk teamed up for a block that forced a UCSD timeout at 8-3. After the break, NAU maintained pressure as Stoddard scored off a set from Melia Barlow, and Wadsworth and Gottschalk combined for another block to make it 11-6. The Tritons briefly pushed back, but Hall delivered a service ace at 22-14, and Stoddard followed with a kill on a quick set from Hall. NAU closed the set, and the match, 25-15 with Wadsworth putting down the final point off another Hall assist.
"When we played them last year, I don't think we were quite ready for how much of a physical team they were and how hard it would be to stop their offense," head coach Ken Murphy said. "This year our team is much prepared for that, we are a lot stronger at the net and able to control a team that is athletic."
Although the Tritons had two more kills, the Lumberjacks had three times as many blocks. Stoddard led the 'Jacks with 14 kills, while tallying 10 digs, recording her sixth double-double out of seven matches. Greenlee had nine kills, hitting to a .643 percentage along with seven total blocks. Gottschalk and Perez added two blocks each. Wilson and Hall each had a service ace, while Hall also contributed 17 assists. Hosfeld recorded 11 assists and 11 digs. Barlow led the 'Jacks in digs with 12 while adding five assists.
"We are looking forward to getting better everyday, of course Texas Tech is a strong team so we will have our work cut out for us," Murphy said. "It is those kinds of challenges that push you to grow as a team."
Tomorrow the Lumberjacks will face Texas Tech at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Standard time. Live streaming of the match is available on ESPN+, while live stats can be found here.
Stay up to date with the Northern Arizona women's volleyball team by following the 'Jacks on Instagram and X.
