FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 24, 2026) - Northern Arizona swept Southern Utah in its Big Sky opener on Thursday evening, taking down the Thunderbirds 25-15, 25-12, 25-16 in Rolle Activity Center. The Lumberjacks are now 8-5, 1-0 on the season.
Hanah Stoddard powered the NAU offense with a team-high 16 kills, while Quincey Coyle added 13 kills and a match-best three aces. Masina Perez chipped in six kills, and Stoddard added an ace of her own. At the net, Avery Gottschalk and Gigi Greenlee each recorded two blocks. Ella Hosfeld led the Lumberjacks with 19 assists, followed by Taryn Davis with 15, while Kate Federico added six assists and anchored the defense with a team-high 11 digs. Davis contributed eight digs, and Stoddard added six as NAU received key contributions across the stat sheet.
NAU jumped out to an early 8-3 lead behind three quick kills from Stoddard and a pair from Greenlee and Coyle, forcing Southern Utah to battle back. The Thunderbirds trimmed the deficit to 8-6, but the Lumberjacks responded with a 5-2 run to take a 13-8 advantage. NAU continued to control the set behind Stoddard, who powered through a stretch of five consecutive kills to help push the lead to 18-11. Southern Utah made another push, closing within 18-13, but NAU answered with three straight points and maintained its momentum. Coyle delivered a service ace at 13-8, while Greenlee and Gottschalk contributed at the net as the Lumberjacks built a 24-15 lead. Coyle then closed out the opening frame with a kill from Taryn Davis to give NAU a 25-15 first-set victory. Stoddard secured nine kills in the first set alone, hitting at an efficient .533 clip.
The Lumberjacks carried their momentum into the second set, opening with a 6-1 run behind kills from Stoddard, Perez and Laney Wilson. The Thunderbirds answered with a 6-1 run of their own to even the set at 7-7, but the 'Jacks quickly regained control with a five-point run, including three consecutive points forced by Southern Utah errors, to take a 12-7 lead. NAU continued to build its advantage, with Coyle delivering two kills and Hosfeld adding a service ace to make it 16-9. Coyle then took over from the service line, recording back-to-back aces as NAU surged ahead. Greenlee and Perez helped NAU maintain the cushion with a block at 23-10. Greenlee followed with a kill to put the Lumberjacks at set point. Perez closed out the frame with a kill from Hosfeld, giving NAU a 25-12 victory and a 2-0 lead in the match.
Northern Arizona responded to an opening Southern Utah point in the third set with five straight points to take a 5-1 lead. Perez sparked the early run with three kills, while Gottschalk added a kill and Greenlee chipped in another. Southern Utah stayed within striking distance, but NAU maintained its advantage behind steady offensive production from Coyle and Stoddard, taking a 10-4 lead. The Thunderbirds pulled within 12-10, but Coyle answered with a kill and NAU regained momentum, pushing ahead 16-11. Stoddard and Perez continued to provide key points as the Lumberjacks extended their lead to 19-12. NAU reached 21-13 after a Stoddard service ace, then extended its lead to 23-15 when Federico set Georgi Stein for a kill. The Lumberjacks moved to match point at 24-16 following a Southern Utah service error. An attack error by Maya Banks gave NAU the final point and a 25-16 set victory, completing a three-set sweep.
Southern Utah falls to 10-1, 0-1 on the season, and the two teams will meet again for the final match of the regular season on Nov. 20 in Cedar City.
Northern Arizona will face Utah Tech on Saturday, with the first serve set for 1 p.m. MST. Catch the live stream on ESPN+ and follow live stats via StatBroadcast.
Stay up to date with the Northern Arizona women's volleyball team by following the 'Jacks on Instagram and X.
