NAMPA, Idaho - Northwest Nazarene women's volleyball gave the 22nd-ranked team in Division II all they could handle on Thursday night, taking Simon Fraser to five sets in the 2021 home opener.
How It Happened
- NNU came out of the gates firing on all cylinders in the first set, hitting .306 as a team on their way to a 25-17 victory. With an 18-15 lead, the Nighthawks scored six-straight points, including a pair of aces from
Caroline McMahon, to pull away from SFU and take the set.
- SFU bounced back in sets two and three, earning 25-21 and 25-19 wins. The visitors hit about .350 in both frames, including a match-high .375 in the third set.
- NNU did not go away quietly, however, rallying for a 27-25 win in set four to force a deciding final frame. The Nighthawks were down to their last point as SFU held a 24-23 advantage, but NNU was able to garner four of the last five points to take the set, with the final two tallies coming on kills from
Natalie Sullivan.
- The momentum did not carry over to the final set, however, as SFU built an early lead and went on to win 15-8 to take the thrilling match.
Nighthawks Notes
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Natalie Sullivan had a great night, hitting .339 and registering a career-best 29 kills along with 15 digs for a double-double.
- Sullivan's kills mark was just one off of NNU's rally-scoring record in a five-set match, as 2021 graduate
Abbey Blum notched 30 in a match against Notre Dame de Namur in 2019.
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Caroline McMahon and
Mckenzie Lee each recorded double-digit digs, with McMahon at 10 and Lee at 11.
- Lee also had a career-high 46 assists, while McMahon notched a career-best five aces.
Next Up
NNU will turn around and host their second-straight ranked team on Saturday, squaring off with No. 15 Western Washington at 1:00 p.m. in the Johnson Sports Center.
