FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (November 4, 2026) -Â With just six matches remaining in the Big Sky volleyball regular season, the Lumberjacks will hit the road with momentum as they visit Montana on Nov. 5 and Montana State on Nov. 7. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. MST and will be available to stream via ESPN+.
Northern Arizona is coming off back-to-back sweeps, taking down Idaho and Eastern Washington in three sets at the Rolle Activity Center this past week. The victories bring the 'Jacks' overall record to 15-9 and 8-4 in Big Sky play. They enter the week tied for second in the standings alongside Montana State and Northern Colorado. At the top is Utah Tech, which remains undefeated at 12-0 in conference play and is riding a 16-match winning streak.
NAU boasts a strong defensive presence, ranking second in the Big Sky in both digs (16.09 per set) and opponent hitting percentage, holding teams to just .152 hitting, the 11th-best mark in the nation. The Lumberjacks also average 2.5 blocks per set, ranking 51st nationally, while averaging 12.2 kills, 11.3 assists and 1.3 service aces per set.
Offensively, Hanah Stoddard leads the way, ranking second in the Big Sky with 3.71 kills and 4.18 points per set. She also ranks second nationally in attacks per set at 13.10. The Big Sky Conference actually has the top two attackers in the NCAA this season as Eastern Washington's Kalista Lukovich leads the country with 13.22. With Eastern's star out with an injury, Stoddard is the conference's active leader in kills.
Gigi Greenlee anchors the front-row defense, averaging 1.26 blocks per set, second-best in the conference, while her 116 total blocks rank 18th nationally. Greenlee is also one of the conference's most efficient attackers, hitting .349 on the season, which ranks among the top six in the Big Sky.
Quincey Coyle provides another offensive threat, averaging 3.44 points per set and ranking sixth in the conference with 0.33 service aces per set. Setter Ella Hosfeld contributes 5.60 assists per set, ninth-best in the league. With a strong defensive foundation and multiple offensive options, the Lumberjacks will look to use their blocking and defensive pressure to disrupt opposing attacks.
Montana enters the matchup coming off a sweep of Southern Utah, earning its first road victory of the season and giving the Grizzlies some momentum heading into the final stretch of Big Sky play. The win was also a milestone for head coach Allison Lawrence, who picked up her 100th career victory at Montana.
Offensively, the Grizzlies have shown improvement in recent matches, hitting .279 against Southern Utah and .224 against Utah Tech, while Alex Stone has emerged as a consistent attacking threat with at least 10 kills in three consecutive matches.
UM also presents a challenge from the service line, ranking second in the Big Sky with 1.57 aces per set. Middle blocker Sydney Pierce has provided a boost since returning to the lineup, recording eight kills on .412 hitting in the win over Southern Utah.
However, consistency will be important for the Grizzlies, who have yet to win consecutive matches this season and are just 1-11 when dropping the opening set. Overall the Griz are 7-16 and 3-9 in the league.
Northern Arizona swept Montana 3-0 in the first meeting on Oct. 10, taking all three sets by relatively close margins (25-23, 25-21, 28-26). Hannah Stoddard led the Lumberjacks with 15 kills and 10 digs, while Gigi Greenlee added seven kills and a team-high six blocks. NAU finished with 11 total blocks and held the Grizzlies to just a .108 hitting percentage.
In the all-time series, Northern Arizona leads 40-37 over Montana, dating back to 1980.
Montana State enters the matchup playing some of its best volleyball of the season after picking up back-to-back wins over Weber State and Idaho State to move into a tie for second place in the Big Sky standings at 8-4.
The Bobcats have been balanced offensively, ranking third in the conference in kills per set (13.03) and fourth in hitting percentage (.227), with five players already recording more than 100 kills this season.
Seniors Joelie Spelts and Karli Heidemann headline the attack with 267 kills apiece, while Heidemann has led the team in kills in eight of the last 10 matches. Spelts has been particularly efficient, hitting .319 on the season, while setter Teagan Jaynes ranks second in the Big Sky with 9.42 assists per set and does a good job of spreading the ball around.
Defensively, libero Nicolette Noble leads the Bobcats with 381 digs, averaging 4.10 per set. Montana State has also proven capable of winning in tight matches, going 6-2 in five-set contests, and is 13-0 when recording a higher hitting percentage than its opponent.
With a strong offensive attack and several experienced contributors, the Bobcats will present a tough challenge, particularly if they can establish their rhythm early and maintain their efficiency.
Northern Arizona earned a 3-1 victory over Montana State in the first meeting on Oct. 8, taking the opening two sets before the Bobcats responded with a narrow 27-25 win in the third. Hannah Stoddard led the Lumberjacks with 17 kills, while Quincey Coyle added 13 and Gigi Greenlee contributed eight kills and five blocks. NAU hit .269 as a team and finished with 12 total blocks, using a strong defensive effort and a .316 hitting percentage in the fourth set to close out the victory.
In the all-time series, NAU leads 46-32, dating back to 1987.
Looking ahead, Northern Arizona will have its final two matches of the regular season next week before hosting the Big Sky Conference Tournament in Flagstaff from Nov. 23-25. The Lumberjacks will host Weber State on Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m. MST and Idaho State on Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. MST for Senior Day.
Stay up to date with Northern Arizona volleyball by following the Lumberjacks on X and Instagram.
