SEASIDE, Calif. – The Northwest Nazarene volleyball team opened its 2026 season with a thrilling five-set victory over Sioux Falls on Thursday at the Otter Invitational. The match marked the Nighthawks' first counting match of the 2026 season after a pair of preseason scrimmages, as NNU began the year with a 3-2 win over the Cougars.
NNU came out firing in the opening set, jumping to an early 4-0 advantage behind three consecutive kills from Abby Black, all assisted by Morgan Wilding. Whitleigh Walsh added a service ace as the Nighthawks pushed the lead to 6-0 before Sioux Falls responded with a run of its own. NNU continued to control the set, building a 15-8 lead after kills from Madison Cheney and Jenna Holm. The Nighthawks extended their advantage to 22-13, highlighted by another service ace from Black, before the Cougars mounted a late push to cut the deficit to 23-19. NNU held firm, with Hailey Cheney and Madison Cheney providing the final kills to secure a 25-19 opening-set victory.
The second set featured a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to establish much separation. After Sioux Falls opened with a 4-0 lead, NNU battled back behind kills from Hailey Cheney, Madison Cheney and Abby Black, eventually taking a 10-7 advantage. Morgan Wilding added a service ace and helped set up a kill from Lily Kinloch as the Nighthawks continued to hold a narrow edge. Sioux Falls answered with a run to move in front 17-16, and the Cougars pushed their lead to 23-20 before NNU responded. Black delivered a kill off a Spray Kayci set to tie the set at 24-24, and NNU continued to fight through extra points. Maddy Hellem's kill put the Nighthawks ahead 28-27, but Sioux Falls answered with three straight points, including kills from Tatum Godinez and Ella Walker, to take the set 30-28 and even the match at one set apiece.
NNU again found itself in a tight battle in the third set, trading points with Sioux Falls through the early stages before taking a 12-9 lead. The Nighthawks then surged behind an impressive serving run from Hailey Cheney, who recorded three consecutive service aces to push NNU ahead 16-12 and force a Sioux Falls timeout. NNU maintained its advantage at 21-16 after a kill from Maddy Hellem, but the Cougars began to chip away at the deficit. Sioux Falls eventually tied the set at 23-23 before taking the final two points, including a kill from Tatum Godinez and a block from Godinez and Ella Walker, to win 25-23 and take a 2-1 match lead.
Facing a 2-1 deficit, NNU responded with another tightly contested set, battling back and forth with Sioux Falls throughout. The Nighthawks held a 17-14 advantage after a kill from Abby Black, but the Cougars answered with a 7-1 run to take a 21-18 lead. NNU refused to let the set slip away, getting a kill from Maddy Hellem and a service ace from Whitleigh Walsh to pull even at 22-22. The teams traded points from there, with Lily Kinloch putting NNU ahead 25-24 on a kill from Kayci Spray before Jenna Holm closed out the set with a block as the Nighthawks won 26-24 to force a deciding fifth set.
NNU took control early in the deciding fifth set, jumping out to a 5-3 lead behind kills from Abby Black and Madison Cheney. Sioux Falls answered to tie the set at 5-5, but the Nighthawks responded with a strong run to regain the lead. Morgan Wilding added a service ace and a key block alongside Lily Kinloch and Hailey Cheney as NNU moved ahead 8-5. After the Cougars pulled within one at 10-9, Cheney took over from the service line, recording back-to-back aces to extend NNU's lead to 13-9 and force a Sioux Falls timeout. Black followed with a kill, and the Nighthawks closed out the match on a Sioux Falls attack error, winning the fifth set 15-10 and the match 3-2.
NNU will continue play at the Otter Invitational on Friday, facing Dominican (Calif.) at 12 p.m. before closing out the day against host Cal State Monterey Bay at 8 p.m. Both matches will be played at The Kelp Bed in Seaside, Calif., with all times listed in Pacific Time.
