FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- For the second time this week, the Northern Arizona volleyball team conquered their foe from the state of Montana, as they swept Montana State, 26-24, 25-19, 25-13, Saturday night in the Rolle Activity Center. With the win, the Lumberjacks upped their record to 14-3 overall, matching the program's best start through 17 matches.
NAU, now 5-1 in the Big Sky play, equals the 1991 and 2011 teams who also started their respective seasons 14-3.
"The first two sets were close because Montana State was playing really well," said head coach Ken Murphy. "I give our team a lot of credit. We kept playing hard, working for our points and trusting the things that we did. We had a good night."
The Lumberjacks were strong at the net once again, totaling 13.0 team blocks in just three sets. Junior Payton Bock led the way with eight blocks, the most of any Lumberjack this season, and sophomore Jensen Barton added five blocks. NAU needed a strong blocking effort against a physical Montana State attack who kept the pressure on during a close first set.
Although NAU jumped out to a 5-1 lead to begin the match, the Bobcats tied it at 9-9 before the 'Jacks scored the next four points. The short run was not enough to pull away though as Montana State kept itself within striking distance. Senior Taylor Stephens knocked down a kill to put NAU at set point, 24-23, but Montana State answered with a kill to send the set to extra points. The Lumberjacks did not let it extend too far, clinching the set on a kill by sophomore Lauren Jacobsen and a Bobcat error.
The second set was a back-and-forth affair with NAU getting the last run to take a 2-0 lead. Montana State's 7-1 run erased an early Lumberjack 9-6 lead, but NAU climbed back to even it at 16-16. The pivotal stretch came there with Stephens and Barton's block capping a 5-0 run to put the Lumberjacks ahead 21-16 before wrapping up the set.
NAU blew open the third set with a block by Bock and junior Janae Vander Ploeg which jumpstarted a 9-1 run that gave NAU a commanding 17-8 lead including a pair of aces by redshirt junior Stacia Williams. The Lumberjacks never trailed by less than seven points the rest of the way and the exclamation point was recorded by Bock and Kemper's final roof at the net to keep NAU unbeaten at home this season in seven matches.
"We have even more focus on making sure we have maximum energy and maximum attention on the little things that make us successful in every match," Murphy said. "Our offense was so balanced tonight. Our middles and our right attack were so good and that was one of the things that had gotten away from us. Knowing that we can be as successful as we were tonight with the balanced attack and the blocking has to give us confidence."
NAU's blocking kept the Bobcats at a .143 percentage while the Lumberjacks reset their season-best hitting percentage for the second time in as many matches at .344. Kemper posted her second double-double of the weekend and seventh this season with team-highs of 11 kills and 12 digs along with four blocks. She was one of three hitters to hit above .400 at .450, with Stephens totaling eight kills on a .467 clip and Bock hitting six kills at .417.
"We're taking it up one notch every match," Stephens said. "We're not satisfied with just winning because we have more goals to improve on. We pressured them tonight and made them do what we wanted them to do. It was a collective effort across the net. It wasn't just one person, but everyone was really aggressive."
The Lumberjacks will begin a two-week, four-match road trip spanning four states next Thursday at Weber State followed by a match at Idaho State on Saturday.
