FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 19, 2026) - The Northern Arizona women's volleyball team will look to continue its momentum in the fifth week of Big Sky play with a home match against Portland State on Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m. MST, followed by a quick turnaround for a road match at Northern Colorado on Oct. 22 at 5 p.m. MST. Both matches will be available to stream on ESPN+.
The Lumberjacks are riding a five-match winning streak after earning two road victories this past weekend, defeating Eastern Washington 3-2 and Idaho 3-1. NAU's record now stands at 13-7 overall and 6-2 in conference play, tied with Idaho State for second in the league standings.
Quincey Coyle was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week. Across the two matches, Coyle totaled 31 kills, averaging 3.44 kills per set while posting a .329 hitting percentage.
The 'Jacks are one of the conference's top defensive teams, leading the league in opponent hitting percentage (.159) while ranking second in digs (16.2) and fifth in blocks (2.39) per set. Four players average at least 2.5 digs per set: Lilly Holmes (3.10), Coyle (2.98), Kate Federico (2.93) and Hanah Stoddard (2.55).
Stoddard and Coyle lead the NAU offense, averaging 3.75 and 2.92 kills per set, respectively, ranking second and ninth in the conference. Stoddard's 13.07 attacks per set rank third in the nation. The outside hitter from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, recently joined the 1,000-kill, 1,000-dig club and is putting together another stellar season after being named Big Sky Co-MVP in 2025.
Ella Hosfeld has tallied 440 assists this season and recently reached 2,000 career assists. She averages 5.71 assists per set, ranking 10th in the league. Taryn Davis has also contributed 326 assists this season.
At the net, Gigi Greenlee leads NAU with an average of 1.22 blocks per set, ranking third in the conference. She also ranks fifth in hitting percentage at .355. Avery Gottschalk averages 0.88 blocks per set and has a .268 hitting percentage.
The Portland State Vikings are 7-12 overall and 3-5 in conference play, putting them seventh in the standings. They most recently split their road matches, falling 3-1 at Idaho before earning a breakthrough victory Saturday with a sweep of Eastern Washington. The win was fueled by the Vikings' strongest defensive effort of the season, as they limited the Eagles to just 20 kills on a .034 hitting percentage. Both marks were season lows for a Portland State opponent. The victory also snapped a 12-match road losing streak that stretched back to the final three road contests of last season.
The Vikings' other Big Sky victories this season include a 3-1 win over Southern Utah in the opening week of conference play and another 3-1 victory over Montana.
Alivia Eikenburg leads the Vikings' offense with 149 kills this season, averaging 2.53 per set. Paige Stepaniuk and Jessica Truong have both made strong contributions at libero this season while also serving as back-row substitutes when the Vikings use a 5-1 formation. Truong leads Portland State with 3.83 digs per set, the eighth-best average in the conference. Stepaniuk, meanwhile, has taken on the primary libero role in most of the Vikings' last four matches, averaging 3.92 digs per set during that stretch.
Michael Seemann is in his 20th year as head coach of the Portland State volleyball program and is the longest-tenured head coach among the Vikings' 15 varsity programs. Seemann reached the 300-win career milestone with the Vikings' 3-0 road sweep of Eastern Washington on Oct. 17, becoming the third Portland State volleyball coach to reach 300 wins.
In 2025, NAU won both meetings with Portland State by a score of 3-1, at home and on the road. In the all-time series, NAU leads 34-26, dating back to 1996. At home, the 'Jacks hold a 19-9 record against the Vikings.
Northern Colorado enters the week with a 9-10 overall record and a 5-3 mark in Big Sky play. They are in a three way tie for third alongside Weber State and Montana State. The Bears are coming off a two-loss road weekend, falling 3-2 at Idaho State and 3-1 at Weber State. They are 4-0 at home in Greeley but 1-3 on the road. Their only other conference loss came against Utah Tech, which currently holds an 8-0 conference record.
UNC boasts a strong offense, leading the Big Sky with a .243 hitting percentage, 10 percentage points higher than any other team in the conference. The Bears also rank second in kills (13.4) and third in assists (11.9) per set.
Alayna Tessena leads the Bears in both kills, with 245 (3.31 per set), and service aces, with 26. Her average of 0.35 service aces per set ranks fifth in the Big Sky. She is also second on the team in digs, with 174, averaging 2.35 per set. Bella Lapore leads the team in digs, averaging 4.26 per set, the fourth-best mark in the conference. Summer Snead has a .354 hitting percentage, ranking sixth in the league, and leads UNC in total blocks with 62.
The Bears are led by Lindsey Oates, who is in her 21st year at the helm. Under her leadership, the program has captured 14 Big Sky Championships and earned eight NCAA Tournament appearances. Oates has been named Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year five times (2009, 2011, 2014, 2019 and 2024).
Last season, the Lumberjacks swept the Bears 3-0 at home and won the season finale in Greeley 3-1, retaining the Battle of Blue and Gold trophy and securing the regular-season series victory. Northern Colorado went on to win the conference tournament on its home court. In the all-time series, Northern Colorado leads 25-14, dating back to 1975.
With momentum building after a pair of road wins, NAU will look to carry its winning streak into a challenging week of conference play. The Lumberjacks have an opportunity to strengthen their position in the Big Sky standings with two key matchups against Portland State and Northern Colorado.
Looking ahead, NAU will host Idaho on Oct. 29 for a "Dig Pink" match at 6:30 p.m. MST, fans are encouraged to wear pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The match with Eastern Washington on Oct. 31 will begin at 1 p.m. MST.
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