NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene volleyball bounced back from a first-set loss to take down Western Oregon 3-1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-16, 25-16) on Thursday night.
NNU improves to 13-5 on the year and 6-4 in GNAC play.
How It Happened
The Nighthawks fell behind early in the first set at 8-2 and were unable to rally, putting together a few runs but never leading as the visitors took the set by five.
NNU had the hot start in set two, jumping out to an 8-4 advantage. An 8-2 run midway through the set put things out of reach as NNU went up 18-12 and was able to cruise from there, with a
Mckenzie Lee ace putting the finishing touches on the 25-17 win.
Set three saw the Nighthawks gradually build a bigger and bigger lead throughout the set, going on a few runs in the middle. Kills from
Olivia Wright and
Natalie Sullivan on two of the last three points put the set away.
Set four was fairly close, with WOU trailing by four, 20-16, late in the frame. NNU responded with five-straight points to take the match, however, including two kills from Sullivan and one apiece from
Miya Koch and
Tayler Markland.
Nighthawks Notes
- NNU improves to 7-3 this season at home in the Johnson Sports Center
- The Nighthawks hit .291, including an impressive .429 in the final set
- NNU had seven aces to just two for WOU
- Natalie Sullivan led the team with 20 kills, her second 20-kill effort of the season, and added 11 digs for a double-double
- Miya Koch also had a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs, hitting .400 with four blocks as well
- Olivia Wright had 13 kills and two blocks
- Caroline McMahon finished with a team-high 19 digs
- NNU is now 18-12 all-time against Western Oregon, including 16-2 in the last 18 meetings
Next Up
The Nighthawks will be back home this Saturday, hosting Saint Martin's at 1:00 p.m.
