FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Sept. 12, 2025) - The Northern Arizona women's volleyball team swept the Texas Tech Raiders tonight in its second match of the Lumberjack Classic.
"I'm proud of the team, obviously Texas Tech is a tough opponent - they are a strong team and very physical," head coach Ken Murphy said. "Our team went in with a lot of confidence and belief in themselves and just took care of their business. There was never a time in the match where we felt fazed by the situation, or overwhelmed by it, and I think that just shows the leadership and maturity that we are developing."
Northern Arizona jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a block from Avery Gottschalk and a kill by Sophia Wadsworth. After Texas Tech responded, NAU extended the margin to 7-2 behind blocks from Masina Perez and Gigi Greenlee. A kill by Greenlee and back-to-back points from Stoddard pushed the lead to 11-3, forcing a timeout. The Lumberjacks stayed in control, with Laney Wilson and Stoddard adding kills to make it 18-10. Texas Tech closed the gap late with Reagan Engler leading the charge, cutting it to 24-21, but Stoddard's steady attacking helped the Lumberjacks finish the set 25-21.
Texas Tech built an early 4-1 lead in the second set, but NAU responded with kills from Wadsworth and Perez to tie it at 5-5. The teams traded points until Stoddard's kills gave the 'Jacks their first edge at 8-7. From there, NAU slowly pulled ahead, highlighted by Wadsworth's steady scoring and a block by Greenlee and Perez. With the score 13-12, Lilly Holmes sparked a decisive run from the service line, delivering two aces and forcing multiple Red Raider errors as NAU surged to 19-12. Stoddard and Perez continued to score at the net, and Wilson sealed the set, 25-16.
Set three started evenly, with the Red Raiders taking slim leads before the 'Jacks tied it at 7-7 behind back-to-back kills from Stoddard. The Lumberjacks gained momentum as Stoddard added an ace and Greenlee notched a kill, pushing the score to 15-12. After a Texas Tech timeout, NAU extended its edge to 18-15 with kills from Gottschalk and Wadsworth. The Red Raiders rallied, tying the set multiple times and eventually moving ahead 23-22. NAU answered with Wilson and Stoddard scoring key points to force extra play. Stoddard delivered clutch kills late, sealing the frame 28-26 and the sweep.
Northern Arizona hit .347 as a team. Stoddard powered the attack with a match-best 22 kills on an impressive .488 clip, while also adding 12 digs and three blocks for a double-double - her seventh of the season. She was backed by Wadsworth with nine kills and Perez with five. At the net, Greenlee led the defense with three blocks, and Holmes sparked from the service line with two aces. Setting duties were shared by Ella Hosfeld (20 assists, nine digs) and Keira Hall (17 assists), while libero Melia Barlow steadied the back row with eight digs. The Lumberjacks closed out set wins of 25-21, 25-16, and 28-26 in front of the Rolle Activity Center crowd to move to 6-2 on the year. The Red Raiders move to 5-3.
Tomorrow, NAU will close out the Lumberjack Classic with a match against Southern Utah at 1 p.m. Mountain Standard time. Live streaming of the match will be available through ESPN+, and 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.
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