OXFORD, Miss. (August 28, 2026) - The Northern Arizona women's volleyball team opened its 2026 season Friday at the Ole Miss Invitational, falling to Loyola Marymount, 3-0 (22-25, 22-25, 18-25), at the Gillom Athletics Performance Center.

The Lumberjacks (0-1, 0-0 Big Sky) saw strong performances from Gigi Greenlee and Hanah Stoddard, who each recorded nine kills. Greenlee was especially efficient, hitting a team-best .750 while adding two block assists and two digs. Stoddard contributed two block assists and seven digs.

Quincey Coyle and Laney Wilson each added seven kills, with Coyle leading the Lumberjacks with two service aces and five digs. Wilson hit .636 on the afternoon while recording two block assists and two digs

Ella Hosfeld and Taryn Davis helped direct the NAU offense with 17 and 12 assists, respectively, while Lilly Holmes anchored the defense with a team-high 14 digs and added a service ace.

The 'Jacks came out strong in the opening set, taking an early 7-4 lead following a string of LMU errors. The Lions battled back to tie the set at 10-10 before NAU responded with a 5-1 run to take an 18-16 advantage. Coyle and Greenlee provided kills during the run, while Holmes added a service ace.

The opening set remained tightly contested, with the teams tying 11 times. With the score knotted at 22-22, LMU closed the set with three straight points to take a 25-22 victory.

LMU gained an early advantage in the second set, jumping ahead 5-2. NAU responded with a 3-0 run to pull within one at 11-10, but the Lions maintained their lead through the remainder of the set. Despite the setback, the Lumberjacks produced their best offensive set of the match, hitting .355 with 15 kills.

The third set was again closely contested early, with the teams tied at 7-7. LMU then used an 8-2 run to create separation and take a five-point lead. NAU continued to battle, with Stoddard and Wilson providing kills to keep the Lumberjacks within striking distance.

A service error gave LMU match point at 24-17. Kate Camp and Lauren Edlund answered with a block to extend the set, but the Lions closed out the match on the following point with a kill, taking the third set 25-18 and the match 3-0.

NAU will look to bounce back Saturday when it faces tournament host Ole Miss at 4 p.m. MST. The match will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats also available.

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