Northern Arizona volleyball beats UNC to clinch Big Sky Conference regular-season title ...Saudi Arabia

There’s not much difference between the Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado volleyball teams.

Northern Arizona has been the best team in the conference for most of the season, and the Lumberjacks showed themselves to be tops again Friday.

In a compelling match almost from the first serve, with sustained volleys and attention-grabbing plays, NAU beat UNC 3-1 in the regular-season finale for both teams at Bank of Colorado Arena.

With the win, the Lumberjacks clinched the regular-season Big Sky Conference title and the top seed for the three-day conference tournament starting Monday at Bank of Colorado Arena.

NAU won the match 27-25, 26-24, 16-25 and 25-19 to sweep the season series from the Bears, also winning the schools’ Blue and Gold Battle Trophy for the second time this season. NAU swept UNC in three close sets in late October.

“Great college match tonight,” NAU coach Ken Murphy said after winning his third Big Sky title in 13 seasons with the Lumberjacks. “UNC is an outstanding team, obviously. Great crowd in here. Obviously, proud of our team to be able to come into an environment like this with such a good team with some things on the line and be able to perform the way we did.”

PHOTOS: UNC volleyball battles Northern Arizona for Big Sky title

Northern Arizona extended its winning streak to four games, finishing with a 23-6 overall record and 13-3 in the Big Sky. The Lumberjacks clinched a share of the regular-season title last weekend with a win at home against Idaho State.

The Lumberjacks will see eighth-seeded ISU in the tournament quarterfinals at 1 p.m. Monday.

UNC slips to the third seed for the Big Sky tournament with a 14-15 overall record and 11-5 in the conference.

The Bears play No. 6 Montana State in the fourth and final quarterfinal match at 7 p.m. Monday. UNC and Montana State split its two regular-season matches. Montana State won 3-1 in early October in Bozeman. UNC swept the Bobcats in three sets in late October in Greeley.

Sacramento State, which won its final two matches this week, jumps UNC for the second seed with a 19-9 overall record and 12-4 in the conference.

UNC will host the conference tournament as the 2024 regular-season Big Sky champion. Next year, the tournament will move to Flagstaff, Arizona on NAU’s home court.

Not long after the match, outside hitter Bella Van Lannen was ready to switch gears to prepare for the conference tournament.

“You gotta work toward what our goal is and that’s postseason,” said Van Lannen, who was one of six seniors honored by the Bears program before the match. “We want to be playing in the postseason and playing with each other as long as we can. Tonight’s match challenged us and I think we’re ready.”

The other players honored by the program before the match were: outside hitter Brynn Reines, defensive specialist GA McCarter, middle blocker Isabel Bennett, middle blocker Zoe Gibbs and setter Mia Liddiard.

Van Lannen said UNC did a better job of stopping portions of the NAU attack in the second match between the teams. The Lumberjacks’ middle hitters were tough for UNC, but a difference in the match was defense and the serve-receive game.

“We kind of knew that’s what it was going to be,” Van Lannen said. “I think that’s what pushed us to get a fourth set.”

NAU beat the Bears 27-25, 25-22 and 28-26 at home Oct. 24.

Murphy said the first two sets Friday were the same as the teams’ three sets in Flagstaff last month — tight play, close sets and either team could’ve won.

So, what was the difference for Northern Arizona, which has won six of seven sets over the Bears this year?

Murphy said outside hitters Hanah Stoddard and Kylie Moran found a rhythm during the match “to take advantage of some things out there,” giving NAU balance in its offense. Murphy said NAU is always strong in the middle and on the right side.

Stoddard had a match-high 18 kills. Moran added 16 and Sophia Wadsworth had 11.

“Tonight we were good on the outside too,” the coach added. “I thought we were able to make some plays at crucial times defensively. That was the biggest difference.”

UNC led by as many as four points twice early in the second set, which was the largest lead of the match for the Bears. UNC went up 17-13 on a kill by Tessena and 18-14 on a kill by Bennett.

NAU won three of five late in the second to tie the set 21-21 on a block point, forcing UNC into a time out.

LePore came up with an ace on her serve and Tessena followed with another kill to even the set 24-24.

But, then, just like that NAU went ahead and clinched the set for a 2-0 lead. Stoddard scored on a kill,  and UNC an attack error gave the Lumberjacks the 26-24 win.

UNC won the third set 25-16 and the play from both teams was nothing less than exciting. Balls going back and forth and three late-set kills by Tessena to help UNC pull away, keeping many in the crowd on their feet.

UNC led 18-15 at one point and outscored the Lumberjacks 7-1 the rest of the way.

Big Sky Conference Tournament

The conference tournament matchups are set for the eight teams at Bank of Colorado Arena.

Quarterfinals will be at 10 a.m., 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Monday. Semifinals are 4 and 7 p.m. Tuesday. The championship begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Quarterfinals, Monday, Nov. 24

Match 1 — 4-Weber State vs. 5-Montana, 10 a.m.

Match 2 — 1-Northern Arizona vs. 8-Idaho State, 1 p.m.

Match 3 — 2-Sacramento State vs. 7-Portland State, 4 p.m.

Match 4 — 3-UNC vs. 6-Montana State, 7 p.m.

Semifinals, Tuesday, Nov. 25

Winner of Match 1 vs. winner of Match 2, 4 p.m.

Winner of Match 3 vs. winner of Match 4, 7 p.m.

The winner of the conference tournament title earns the Big Sky's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The conference tournament is played Thanksgiving week. In recent years, including last year at Sacramento State, the tournament plays matches on Thanksgiving Day. There were matches on Thanksgiving two years ago when UNC also hosted the tournament.

UNC coach Lyndsey Oates said the host school can choose the dates of the tournament during the week. UNC athletic director Darren Dunn opted to schedule the tournament so athletics staff could have an off day on Thanksgiving, Oates said.

She said all 10 Big Sky coaches had a choice to play the tournament either Monday-Wednesday or Wednesday, and Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving. The coaches choose Monday-Wednesday.

“The coaches would’ve preferred to play on Thanksgiving, like the visiting team coaches,” Oates said. “We can respect Darren’s decision to not make staff work on that day.”

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