BROOKINGS, S.D. (September 5, 2026) - The Northern Arizona women's volleyball team took down the Western Illinois Leathernecks (0-7, Ohio Valley) in their first-ever meeting in five sets (25-20, 22-25, 25-27, 25-19, 15-10).
Northern Arizona (3-3, 0-0 Big Sky) battled back from an early 6-4 deficit to take control of the set with an 8-1 run to go up 12-7, continuing its strong offensive run to build an 18-12 lead. NAU received key contributions from Avery Gottschalk, Gigi Greenlee, Peyton Devlin and Taryn Davis, while Hanah Stoddard added a service ace and the Lumberjacks continued to pressure Western Illinois at the net. WIU made a late push, but NAU maintained its composure and closed out the set with a kill by Masina Perez, 25-20.
Devlin opened set two with her first career service ace. NAU found itself playing from behind for much of the set, but the Lumberjacks stayed within reach as the frame progressed. Western Illinois led 19-13 before NAU began to chip away, getting kills from Gottschalk, Greenlee and Devlin to close the gap to 21-22. WIU finished the set with a 3-1 run to even the match, 25-22.
The third set turned into a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to pull away for long. After trailing 13-11, NAU responded with a strong run, scoring seven of the next eight points to take an 18-14 lead. Stoddard was a key part of the surge, scoring three kills in a row, while Devlin continued to provide timely kills. The Leathernecks went on a late scoring run, tying the set at 23-23. A service error gave the 'Jacks set point, but WIU bounced back with two points. NAU held off to tie it at 25-25, but WIU finished off the extra points with two kills to take the set, 27-25.
The Lumberjacks stayed within striking distance early in the fourth set, battling through several lead changes before Western Illinois created separation with a 5-0 run to go ahead 10-6. NAU responded and tied it up at 12-12. The 'Necks gained a 16-14 advantage before NAU responded with a four-point run, sparked by kills from Quincey Coyle and Laney Wilson, to pull ahead 18-16. The Lumberjacks continued to build momentum behind strong play from Kate Camp, who added back-to-back kills and a service ace to push the lead to 22-17. Western Illinois added one more kill, but NAU remained composed and finished the set 25-19 with a kill by Perez, assisted by freshman Mallory Reynolds, to force a deciding fifth set.
NAU came out strong in the final set, using kills from Camp and Coyle to take a 9-5 advantage. Greenlee and Ella Hosfeld helped keep the Lumberjacks in control as NAU continued to apply pressure down the stretch, closing out the fifth set 15-10 to secure the match victory.
As a team, the Lumberjacks finished the match with the stronger offensive efficiency, hitting .210 compared to Western Illinois' .120. The 'Jacks also committed just 21 attack errors across five sets, 14 fewer than WIU.
Stoddard led the Lumberjacks offensively with 13 kills, followed by Greenlee with 10 and Devlin with nine. Stoddard also added a team-high 16 digs and one of NAU's three service aces, while Lilly Holmes anchored the back row with 23 digs. Hosfeld directed the offense with 33 assists and contributed 11 digs, while Davis added nine assists. At the net, Camp paced NAU with four blocks, followed by Greenlee with three and Stoddard with two. Hosfeld and Devlin also recorded an ace apiece.
Greenlee and Stoddard were both named to the All-Tournament Team, marking Greenlee's second nod this season.
NAU will host its annual Lumberjack Classic from Sept. 9-12. The Lumberjacks will welcome Omaha, UC Riverside and Grand Canyon to Flagstaff.
Stay up to date with Northern Arizona volleyball by following the Lumberjacks on X and Instagram.
