OXFORD, Miss. (August 29, 2026) - The Northern Arizona women's volleyball team met Ole Miss (2-0, 0-0 SEC) for the first time in program history on Saturday, falling 3-1 to the Rebels.

The Lumberjacks (0-2, 0-0 Big Sky) played their second match of the Ole Miss Invitational, facing off against the tournament host.

Hanah Stoddard recorded her first double-double of the new season, finishing with 17 kills and 12 digs. The redshirt senior hit .208 while adding a service ace and a block assist.

Middle blocker Gigi Greenlee delivered a strong performance at the net, providing an effective offensive presence while making key plays defensively. She finished with nine kills and six total blocks while hitting an efficient .304.

Setters Ella Hosfeld and Taryn Davis directed the NAU offense with 24 and 12 assists, respectively.

Quincey Coyle led the Lumberjacks defensively with 17 digs and three blocks. The transfer from West Virginia also recorded eight kills, one ace and two assists. Libero Lilly Holmes followed closely with 16 digs.

Northern Arizona battled back from an early deficit to take the opening set, 25-23. After trailing 8-11, the Lumberjacks found their rhythm with a 3-0 run to pull even at 11-11, highlighted by a service ace from Coyle. NAU continued to battle, with Stoddard and Hosfeld connecting for key kills and Coyle adding another important point at the net. The Rebels took advantage of several NAU errors to build a 17-13 lead, but the Lumberjacks responded with an 8-1 run to take their first lead of the set at 21-18. Ole Miss briefly tied the set at 22-22, but Greenlee answered with a kill to put NAU back in front. A bad set by the Rebels gave the Lumberjacks set point at 24-22, and after Ole Miss fought off one set point, Stoddard finished the set with a kill from Davis to secure the 25-23 victory.

Ole Miss responded by taking the second set, 25-16. The Rebels held the advantage early, but the Lumberjacks battled to pull within one at 16-15. Ole Miss then used a 9-1 run to regain control and even the match at one set apiece.

The Rebels jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third frame and maintained control through much of the set, but NAU continued to battle behind kills from Stoddard, Greenlee and Laney Wilson. The Lumberjacks also made an impact at the net, with blocks from Coyle, Greenlee and Lauren Edlund, while Davis added a service ace. Trailing 19-13, NAU mounted its biggest run of the set, scoring five straight points to cut the deficit to 19-18. Davis sparked the rally with a Greenlee kill and a service ace, followed by consecutive Ole Miss attack errors, including one forced by an Edlund-Greenlee block. After the Rebels regained a 22-18 lead, NAU answered with four straight points to tie the set at 22-22, with Edlund securing a kill and Stoddard adding two more. Ole Miss, however, closed the set with three consecutive points to take the 25-22 victory.

The fourth set was closely contested, featuring seven ties and two lead changes, with NAU staying within striking distance throughout. With the score tied at 13-13, Ole Miss gained separation with a 3-0 run to take a 16-13 lead. NAU battled back to within one at 21-20, but the Rebels maintained their advantage down the stretch. Stoddard's kill followed by a service ace helped the Lumberjacks tie the set at 22-22, but Ole Miss answered with an ace from Jorda Crook and a final NAU error to secure the 25-22 victory and win the match, 3-1.

The Lumberjacks will conclude the Ole Miss Invitational tomorrow, facing Southeastern Louisiana at 9 a.m. MST. Live stats will be available for the match.

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