The Northern Arizona volleyball team opened a four-match road trip with a sweep of Weber State in Ogden, Utah, on Thursday night.
The Lumberjacks won 25-16, 25-17, 25-18, and did not trail until the third set as they won their fourth match in a row.
"I thought it was a really complete team effort tonight, no doubt about it," said head coach Ken Murphy.
"We were executing on offense the way we wanted to do. Weber tried to do some things to slow us down and we were able to make adjustments. On the other side of the net, we were strong and took them out of the things they wanted to do."
Junior Payton Bock began the match with a kill down the center of the court, setting NAU in motion as the Lumberjacks led wire-to-wire in the first set. The 'Jacks steadily pulled away from the Wildcats and led 18-10 following four consecutive points. Weber State gained some late momentum, but the Lumberjacks claimed the set off an attack error, the Wildcats' eighth of the set.
Leading 5-4 in the second set, the Lumberjacks broke it open with a 7-0 run, which included two kills apiece by senior Taylor Stephens, junior Janae Vander Ploeg and sophomore Jensen Barton. The Lumberjacks maintained at least a seven-point lead for the rest of the set, clinching on a combo block by Bock and senior Sydney Kemper.
Weber State was up 6-5 in the third set before four straight points, beginning with a Lauren Jacobsen kill, put NAU back in front for good. NAU eventually got to match point off Vander Ploeg's eighth kill, wrapping up the sweep on the next point.
NAU hit above .300 for the fourth match in a row. Barton distributed 33 assists. Four Lumberjacks -- Jacobsen, Kemper, Vander Ploeg and Bock -- each posted eight kills.
Bock and Stephens each had five blocks. The Lumberjacks' net play played a big role in holding Weber State to only a .040 hitting percentage.
Redshirt junior Stacia Williams had a team-best 12 digs.
"We received maybe as well as we have all year," Murphy said. "We were in a really good rhythm and working together really well. Our defense was exceptional. Stacia played a solid left back and Sydney and Jensen also played really well. It was a big part of our success."
The Lumberjacks (15-3) will make the short trip to Pocatello, Idaho, for a showdown with Idaho State, which defeated Southern Utah on Thursday in four sets. NAU and ISU will carry identical 6-1 conference records into Saturday's match, with the winner holding sole possession of first place in the Big Sky South Division at the midway point of conference play.
