FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 10, 2026) - The Northern Arizona women's volleyball team (5-3, 0-0 Big Sky) continued its success on its home court, taking down Omaha (3-3, 0-0 Summit League) in four sets (19-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-21) It was the first time the two teams had met in program history.
Hanah Stoddard led the Lumberjacks offensively with 14 kills, followed by Quincey Coyle with 10 and Gigi Greenlee with nine. Stoddard also paced NAU with two service aces and added 12 digs, while Avery Gottschalk recorded NAU's other ace. This marks Stoddard's fifth double-double of the season. At the net, Coyle and Gottschalk each finished with three blocks, with Greenlee adding two. Ella Hosfeld led the Lumberjacks with 24 assists, while Taryn Davis contributed 21 as NAU's setters helped keep the offense moving throughout the four-set victory. Lilly Holmes anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 19 digs, followed by Stoddard's 12 and Coyle with nine.
"I am really proud of the way we continued to fight," head coach Ken Murphy said. " With so many ties, we did very well to keep our composure and stay tough. The team is really good at not overthinking the score too much and believing in their ability."
Omaha pulled away late to take the opening set 25-19, turning a tightly contested frame into a decisive finish. The Mavericks and Lumberjacks traded points throughout the set, with neither team able to build more than a small advantage early on. The score was tied at 16-16 before Omaha went on an 8-2 run to earn set point. Peyton Devlin added one more kill for NAU, but ultimately, the Mavericks took the first frame 25-19.
Northern Arizona responded strongly in the second set, building an early lead and never looking back as the Lumberjacks evened the match with a 25-17 victory. NAU jumped ahead 5-1 and maintained control behind strong play from Stoddard and Coyle. After Omaha cut the deficit to 9-7, the Lumberjacks answered with a 5-1 run to push their advantage to 14-8. Omaha made a late push, closing within 17-15, but NAU regained its momentum and scored eight of the final 10 points. Stoddard's serving helped spark the late surge, while Coyle delivered the final kill to seal the set and send the match into the break tied 1-1.
The 'Jacks rallied from an early deficit as Omaha jumped out to an 8-2 lead to start the third set. The Lumberjacks responded with six straight points to quickly erase the deficit. From there, the set remained a back-and-forth battle, with the teams trading leads and staying within a point of each other late. NAU held a 20-18 advantage before Omaha answered to go ahead 22-21. The Lumberjacks stayed composed, tying the set at 22-22 and 23-23 before closing it out with kills by Wilson and Greenlee. Set three included 17 score ties and three lead changes. The win gave NAU a crucial 2-1 lead heading into the fourth set.
NAU closed out the match with a back-and-forth 25-21 victory in the fourth set, answering Omaha every time the Mavericks appeared ready to take control. Omaha opened with a 7-2 advantage, but the Lumberjacks steadily chipped away, using kills from Coyle and Greenlee, an ace from Gottschalk and a strong stretch orchestrated by setter Davis to surge ahead 12-10. Omaha retaliated with a 6-1 run of its own, taking a 16-13 lead, but NAU again fought back, scoring three straight to tie the set at 16-16. The teams continued trading leads before NAU made another push late, with Stoddard, Wilson and Coyle all contributing to a run that put the Lumberjacks ahead 21-19. Omaha answered to pull within 22-21, but NAU regained control behind Davis' setting, with her assist helping set up Coyle for the 24-21 point. Omaha then committed an attack error to give NAU the set 25-21 and seal the Lumberjacks' four-set victory.
The Lumberjacks will face their final opponent of the Lumberjack Classic tomorrow at 6 p.m. MST when they face in-state rival Grand Canyon. The match will be available to stream on ESPN+ along with live stats on StatBroadcast.
Stay up to date with the Northern Arizona women's volleyball team by following the 'Jacks on Instagram and X.
