VB at SDSU
3
Winner Northern Ariz. NAU 2-2,0-0 Big Sky
2
Bradley BRAD 2-2,0-0 MVC
Winner
Northern Ariz. NAU
2-2,0-0 Big Sky
3
Final
2
Bradley BRAD
2-2,0-0 MVC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Northern Ariz. NAU 25 20 26 17 15 (3)
Bradley BRAD 18 25 24 25 4 (2)
1
Northern Ariz. NAU 2-3,0-0 Big Sky
3
Winner South Dakota St. SDSU 3-3,0-0 Summit League
Northern Ariz. NAU
2-3,0-0 Big Sky
1
Final
3
South Dakota St. SDSU
3-3,0-0 Summit League
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Northern Ariz. NAU 18 25 17 18 (1)
South Dakota St. SDSU 25 20 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Ashley Croft, NAU Athletic Communications

Northern Arizona Splits Matches at SDSU Invitational

Brookings, S.D. (September 4, 2026) - The Northern Arizona women's volleyball team split a pair of matches on Friday, defeating Bradley in five sets (25-18, 20-25, 26-24, 17-25, 15-4) and falling in four sets to tournament host South Dakota State (25-18, 20-25, 25-17, 25-18).

vs Bradley (3-2, 0-0 Missouri Valley Conference)

NAU took control early, using a 5-0 run to build an 11-4 lead and later extending the advantage to 15-6. Bradley battled back in the middle of the set, cutting the deficit to 16-11, but the Lumberjacks maintained their composure and pushed ahead 24-16. Bradley scored the next two points, but NAU closed out the set 25-18 behind steady attacking and timely plays at the net.

Bradley jumped out to an early lead in set two and used a strong serving run to build a 14-7 advantage. NAU battled back, trimming the deficit to 19-15, but the Braves answered with another push to take a 24-19 lead. The Lumberjacks fought off one set point, but Bradley closed it out 25-20 to even the match.

In set three, the Lumberjacks came out strong, building an early 11-7 lead before Bradley rallied to tie the set at 14-14. The teams traded leads throughout a tight finish, with NAU down 22-24. Two attack errors by the braves and a kill from Hanah Stoddard put the 'Jacks ahead by one, for Ella Hosfeld to seal the third set with a service ace.

Bradley established the momentum from the fourth set, going on a 6-0 run and eventually building an 8-3 advantage. NAU battled to stay within reach, but the Braves steadily extended their lead and pulled away late. Bradley closed out the fourth set 25-17, forcing a deciding fifth set.

NAU completely took over the deciding set, turning a 4-4 tie into an emphatic 15-4 finish. The Lumberjacks rattled off 11 straight points, with Gigi Greenlee leading the charge with three kills and a pair of blocks alongside Laney Wilson. Peyton Devlin connected with Ella Hosfeld to contribute key kills, while NAU's blocking and defensive pressure kept Bradley from finding any rhythm. The dominant run gave NAU the fifth set and the match, 3-2.

As a team, Northern Arizona hit .229, with its best attacking percentage of .438 coming in the final set. The Lumberjacks held the Braves to a .110 hitting percentage. Greenlee led Northern Arizona with 16 kills, followed closely by Hanah Stoddard with 15, while Hosfeld paced the team with 28 assists. Hosfeld also recorded a team-high two aces, with Quincey Coyle and Avery Gottschalk each adding one. At the net, Greenlee and Wilson shared the team lead with six blocks apiece, while Stoddard added three. Lilly Holmes led NAU defensively with 20 digs, followed by Peyton Devlin with 15. Hosfeld also contributed 10 digs to round out the strong all-around performance.

vs South Dakota State (3-3, 0-0 Summit League)

Northern Arizona opened the first set with a 4-0 run, which included two kills from Stoddard to take an early lead 5-2. However, the Jackrabbits responded with a 9-1 run to gain separation with an 11-6 lead. The Lumberjacks continued to fight, with key kills from Stoddard, Wilson and Devlin, while  Gottschalk and  Greenlee contributed blocks. NAU pulled within striking distance late, but SDSU held on to take the first set 25-18.

The Lumberjacks started the second set with a strong 7-3 run, fueled by three straight kills from Stoddard and solid blocking from the Lumberjacks. SDSU gradually chipped away at the deficit, pulling within one at 20-21, but Northern Arizona finished it off with four straight points, including a Greenlee and Stoddard kill and back-to-back blocks from Greenlee and Masina Perez.

South Dakota State took control of the third set and maintained the lead throughout the remainder of the frame. NAU continued to battle behind key plays from Devlin, Stoddard and Greenlee, but the Jackrabbits held off the Lumberjacks to claim the set 25-17 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.

The two teams were close in the beginning of the fourth set, tying six times by 6-6. From here, the Jackrabbits edged ahead with four straight points to go up 13-8. Northern Arizona were unable to keep SDSU's Sylvie Zgonc at bay and ultimately fell 25-18 in the fourth set.

Both teams were hitting efficiently, with the Lumberjacks hitting to .224 while the Jackrabbits hit .262. Devlin led Northern Arizona with a career-high 16 kills and came just one dig shy of a double-double with nine digs. Stoddard followed with 12 kills and led the Lumberjacks with two service aces, while Greenlee added seven kills. At the net, Gottschalk and Greenlee each recorded five blocks, with Stoddard contributing three. Davis paced NAU with 20 assists, followed by Hosfeld with 17 and Holmes with six. Holmes also anchored the defense with a team-high 21 digs, while Devlin and Davis each added nine.

Northern Arizona will face Western Illinois for the first time in program history tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. MST as it concludes the SDSU Invitational. Live coverage of the match is available via Midco Sports 2 and Midco Sports Plus and live stats can be found here.

Looking ahead, NAU will host its annual Lumberjack Classic from Sept. 9-12. The Lumberjacks will welcome Omaha, UC Riverside and Grand Canyon to Flagstaff. The tournament will give fans a first look at the team on its home court, where NAU went unbeaten at the Rolle Activity Center with an 11-0 record last season. Tickets can be purchased here.

Stay up to date with Northern Arizona volleyball by following the Lumberjacks on X and Instagram.
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