FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 7, 2026) - The Northern Arizona women's volleyball team returns to action this week, hosting Montana State on Thursday at 6 p.m. MST and Montana on Saturday at 11 a.m. MST. Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+, and live stats will be available via StatBroadcast.
The Lumberjacks are currently 9-7 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Most recently, they split their first two Big Sky road games, falling 3-0 to Idaho State but rebounding with a 3-0 win over Weber State.
Libero Kate Federico had a career-high 26 digs against Idaho State. She then tallied 18 digs in the win over Weber State. The true freshman averaged 7.33 digs per set over the weekend with 44 total digs. She also had two service aces and eight assists.
Northern Arizona has the top defense in the league, holding opponents to just a .155 hitting percentage this season. That number ranks 11th in the entire NCAA. The Lumberjacks are also in the top 25 in the country in digs (15.79 per set) and the top 60 in blocks (2.43 per set). They rank in the top half of the Big Sky in every statistical category outside of service aces.
Hannah Stoddard, the preseason Big Sky MVP, ranks third in the NCAA in attacks per set at 12.57. She has turned those attacks into 3.67 kills per set, the third-most in the Big Sky. The outside hitter ranks second in the league in points with 4.15 per set. The redshirt senior is just 15 digs away from joining the 1,000-kill/1,000-dig club after reaching 1,000 kills last season. She will be the latest Lumberjack to join the club since Taylor Jacobsen in 2024.
Preseason All-Big Sky pick Gigi Greenlee ranks in the top four of the Big Sky Conference in both blocks (1.23 per set) and hitting percentage (.380).
The Montana State Bobcats are 10-5 overall and 3-1 in conference play. Most recently, they hosted Idaho and Eastern Washington, taking down both teams with 3-0 and 3-1 wins, respectively.
Joelie Spelts is the key offensive threat, as she leads MSU with 162 kills and a .379 hitting percentage, which ranks fifth in the Big Sky. She also set a school record by hitting .846 with 11 kills on 13 attempts against Idaho.
Karli Heidemann (150 kills), Elli Tufto (121) and Lauren Greeny (111) give MSU four players with 100-plus kills. Libero Nicolette Noble leads the team with 247 digs (3.98 per set), while setter Teagan Jaynes ranks second in the Big Sky with 508 assists (8.61 per set). She recently reached the 1,000-assist club.
The Bobcats are 6-1 when winning the first set and have gone 5-1 in five-set matches this season. They also lead the Big Sky in limiting opponents at the net, allowing just 98 opponent blocks.
The Bobcats are led by head coach Matt Houk, who was named the 12th head coach in program history on Jan. 13, 2023, and enters his fourth season at the helm. He has accumulated an overall record of 143-128 across nine seasons as a head coach. He is 46-43 at MSU, which includes a 27-21 mark in Big Sky Conference action.
In the 2025 season, the Lumberjacks first dropped their road match to the Bobcats, 3-2, in one of only three road conference match losses all season. The 'Jacks returned the favor later in the season in Flagstaff with a 3-2 win.
In the all-time series, NAU leads 45-32, dating back to 1987. The 'Jacks are 24-10 when playing at home against the 'Cats.
The Montana Grizzlies lost leads against both Montana State and Eastern Washington to start league play 0-3, including a 3-1 loss against Northern Colorado. They swept Idaho while hitting a season-best .323, with 44 kills and just 12 errors, this past Saturday to earn their first conference win of the season.
Middles Sydney Pierce (eight kills) and Josie Blazina (six) combined for 14 kills on .667 hitting with zero errors. Gracie Cagle leads the Big Sky with 0.47 aces per set and had seven aces against Eastern Washington, which tied for fifth-most in Montana history. The Griz currently average 1.81 aces per set, which tops the conference rankings.
Montana is 0-5 on the road and struggles when trailing early (1-7 after losing Set 1). They rely heavily on defense, with libero Madeline Sanderson averaging 4.28 digs per set.
At the helm is Allison Lawrence, who is in her 10th season as head coach and 17th overall with the Montana volleyball program. Lawrence is just the second coach in program history to lead the team for 10 or more seasons.
Last season, NAU also split its matches with UM, falling 3-1 in early October before coming out on top in Flagstaff, 3-1, at the end of October.
Northern Arizona leads 39-37 over Montana since 1980. The Lumberjacks are 22-14 in Flagstaff against the Griz. UM has lost three straight on the road in the series, but Montana has won four of the previous seven overall meetings against NAU.
Looking ahead, the Lumberjacks will face Eastern Washington on Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. MST and Idaho on Oct. 17, also at 6 p.m. MST.
Stay up to date with the Northern Arizona women's volleyball team by following the 'Jacks on Instagram and X.
