NAMPA, Idaho — Northwest Nazarene volleyball returns home this week for a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchups, hosting Western Oregon on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. before welcoming Saint Martin's to Johnson Sports Center on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. The Nighthawks enter the week at 11-7 overall and 5-6 in GNAC play after earning a five-set comeback victory over Alaska Fairbanks last weekend.

NNU will look to carry that momentum into its two-match week as the Nighthawks continue conference play against the Wolves and Saints.

Nighthawks' Season So Far

The Nighthawks have been led offensively by Senior outside hitter Abby Black, who has recorded 259 kills this season, averaging 3.70 kills per set. Hailey Cheney has added 134 kills while leading the team with a .364 hitting percentage, and Maddy Hellem has contributed 107 kills at 1.98 per set.

NNU's offense has been supported by Morgan Wilding, who leads the team with 338 assists and averages 5.63 per set, while Addison Lynn has added 256 assists at 4.41 per set. At the service line, Whitleigh Walsh leads the Nighthawks with 22 aces.

Defensively, Kayci Spray anchors the back row with 290 digs, averaging 4.14 per set. Black has added 208 digs, while Cheney and Jenna Holm have each recorded 67 total blocks to lead NNU at
the net. As a team, the Nighthawks average 15.40 digs and 2.16 blocks per set.

Last weekend, NNU opened its Alaska trip with a three-set loss to Alaska Anchorage before responding with a five-set comeback win over Alaska Fairbanks. After dropping the first two sets against the Nanooks, the Nighthawks rallied to win the final three, including a dramatic 33-31 third set, before closing out the match with a 15-8 victory in the deciding set.

Western Oregon Wolves

Western Oregon enters Thursday's matchup at 8-11 overall and 4-7 in GNAC play. The Wolves split their home matches last weekend, earning a 3-1 win over Montana State Billings on Oct. 15 before falling 3-2 to Seattle Pacific on Oct. 17.

Payton Davis leads Western Oregon with 158 kills, averaging 3.67 per set, while Kate Markley has recorded 180 kills at 2.90 per set. Malena Mathis has added 124 kills, and Vivian Yount contributes 2.38 kills per set. Samantha Darby directs the Wolves' offense with 418 assists, averaging 6.63 per set.

Defensively, Madi Noel leads Western Oregon with 174 digs at 2.81 per set, while Cali-Jo Shigemasa has added 105 digs at 2.76 per set. At the net, Kate Klobas has recorded 50 total blocks, and Finley Buman has contributed 48.

All-Time vs. Western Oregon

NNU holds a 30-19 advantage in the all-time series against Western Oregon and has won seven of the last 10 meetings. The Nighthawks won the most recent matchup provided, taking a 3-1 victory on Sept. 26, 2026, after winning the opening set, responding to a second-set loss and closing out the match with back-to-back set wins.

Saint Martin's Saints

Saint Martin's enters the week at 8-11 overall and 4-7 in GNAC play. The Saints split their matches last weekend, falling 3-1 to Seattle Pacific on Oct. 15 before sweeping Montana State Billings 3-0 on Oct. 16. Before traveling to Nampa, Saint Martin's is scheduled to face No. 17 Central Washington on Thursday.

Emily Garten leads the Saints offensively with 231 kills, averaging 3.40 per set, and has recorded a team-high 30 service aces. Olivia Bassett has added 167 kills at 2.78 per set, while Zoey Crimin has recorded 110 kills and a .224 hitting percentage. Sophie Fast leads the Saints with 520 assists, averaging 8.25 per set.

Tiffany Lam leads Saint Martin's with 260 digs, averaging 3.82 per set, while Garten has contributed 172 digs. Hanna Ligons anchors the blocking effort with 75 total blocks, averaging 1.10 per set, and Crimin has added 55 blocks. The Saints average 13.76 digs and 2.16 blocks per set.

All-Time vs. Saint Martin's

NNU holds a 42-4 advantage in the all-time series against Saint Martin's, including a 7-3 record over the last 10 meetings. The Nighthawks swept the Saints in their most recent meeting earlier this season, winning 25-22, 25-22 and 25-12 on the road.