NAMPA, Idaho — The Northwest Nazarene volleyball team heads to Arcata, California, this week to compete in the Redwood Coast Volleyball Classic, looking to keep its momentum rolling after an impressive showing in California last week.
The NNU squad is currently 4-0 on the season after a perfect showing at the Otter Invitational, taking down Sioux Falls, Dominican (Calif.), Cal State Monterey Bay, and Cal State San Marcos.
Nighthawks' Season So Far:
The Nighthawks have enjoyed an impressive start to the 2026 season, recording the program's best start since 2023. Their performance at the Otter Invitational showcased the strength and experience this Nighthawk squad brings to the court.
In their first match of the season against Sioux Falls, NNU found itself in an intense five-set battle. After taking control in the opening set, the Nighthawks found their rhythm at the net behind Abby Black and Hailey Cheney. The Cougars continued to battle, but NNU held its composure through a back-and-forth match to secure the 3-2 victory.
On the second day of tournament play, the Nighthawks faced the Dominican (Calif.) Penguins, putting together a dominant performance led by senior Abby Black. Black turned in a standout performance, recording a career-high 31 kills in a single match. Her consistency at the net helped lead NNU to a 3-1 victory and earned her Greater Northwest Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors.
The Nighthawks carried that momentum into their matchup with Cal State Monterey Bay, where they faced another closely contested battle. With the score remaining tight throughout the match and CSUMB taking the second set, NNU demonstrated its composure and experience when it mattered most, closing out a 3-1 victory.
In their final match of the tournament, NNU once again found itself in a thrilling five-set matchup, this time against Cal State San Marcos. After a hard-fought first-set victory, the Cougars responded by taking the next two sets. The Nighthawks regrouped in the fourth set, powered by strong attacking from Black, Lily Kinloch, and Cheney, to force a fifth and deciding set.
With the match remaining tied for much of the final frame, NNU relied on consistent serving and capitalized on a late CSUSM error to secure the 3-2 victory and complete a perfect 4-0 weekend at the Otter Invitational.
Cal Poly Humboldt:
Cal Poly Humboldt will open the Redwood Coast Volleyball Classic against Northwest Nazarene, entering the tournament with a 2-1 record after competing at the Oredigger Volleyball Classic to begin the 2026 season. The Lumberjacks opened the weekend with a 3-1 loss to No. 4 Colorado School of Mines before responding with back-to-back victories over Colorado Christian and UCCS.
Humboldt showed its ability to respond after the opening loss, defeating Colorado Christian 3-1 behind a standout performance from senior Graysen Trupp, who finished with 14 kills and two blocks. Branson Lennon added seven kills, three aces and three blocks, while Isabella Hartwig contributed seven kills, two aces and three blocks.
The Lumberjacks closed the weekend with a 3-0 sweep of UCCS, controlling each set in the straight-set victory. Trupp, Hartwig, Emma Fauth and Avary Spoja each recorded eight kills, while Hartwig added three blocks.
Through three matches, Trupp leads Humboldt with 35 kills, while Hartwig has recorded 20 kills and eight blocks. Lennon has added 18 kills, three aces and four blocks, and Fauth has contributed 15 kills and four blocks. The Nighthawks will look to slow down a Humboldt attack that has produced consistent offensive contributions from multiple players as the two teams meet to open the tournament.
All-time vs Cal Poly Humboldt:
The Nighthawks have faced the Lumberjacks 14 times in their division II history with an all time record of 13-1. Their last matchup was on September 13, 2013. The Nighthawks put forth a dominant performance and took the 3-0 victory over the Lumberjacks.
Nebraska-Kearney:
No. 7-ranked Nebraska-Kearney will be NNU's second opponent at the Redwood Coast Volleyball Classic, entering the tournament with a 3-1 record after competing at the Dallas Classic last week. The Lopers opened the weekend with a 3-0 loss to Colorado Mesa before responding with three consecutive sweeps over Biola, DBU and Mississippi Christian.
After struggling offensively against Colorado Mesa, Nebraska-Kearney found its rhythm in its next three matches. Carly Purdy was a consistent presence throughout the weekend, recording 15 kills against Biola, 13 against DBU and eight in the final match against Mississippi Christian. Grace Schmedding also contributed across multiple areas, including 14 digs against DBU and nine digs against Biola.
The Lopers closed the weekend with a dominant 3-0 victory over Mississippi Christian, limiting the Saints to just 35 points across three sets. Sydney Davis was particularly efficient in the win, recording six kills on a .600 hitting percentage while adding four block assists. Brynn Stowell also finished with seven kills on a .313 hitting percentage and a block assist.
Through four matches, Purdy leads the Lopers with 45 kills, while Schmedding has added 30 kills and 31 digs. Davis has provided a strong presence at the net with 18 kills and nine block assists, while Stowell has contributed 16 kills and four block assists. NNU will face a Nebraska-Kearney squad that enters the tournament with momentum after three straight sweeps to close its opening weekend.
All-time vs Nebraska-Kearney:
This will be Northwest Nazarene's first time taking the court against Nebraska-Kearney.
Rollins College:
Rollins College will be NNU's final opponent at the Redwood Coast Volleyball Classic, entering the tournament with a 3-1 record after competing at the Rollins College Invitational last weekend. The Tars opened the weekend with back-to-back sweeps over Ursuline and Concord before earning a 3-1 victory over Southern Connecticut State. Rollins' lone loss came in a five-set battle against St. Mary's (Texas).
Rollins has shown a balanced attack throughout the tournament, with several players contributing offensively. Kayla Goodloe recorded 12 kills against Ursuline and followed with 13 kills on a .500 hitting percentage against Southern Connecticut State. Cameron Grange also put together a strong weekend, recording 12 kills and 13 digs against Concord before adding 10 kills and 13 digs in the win over Southern Connecticut State.
The Tars also received a standout offensive performance from Robinson Repass in their sweep of Concord, as she recorded 12 kills while hitting .857 and added four blocks. Rylee Yarborough provided another consistent option, recording 9 kills and eight digs against Concord before adding 12 kills and nine digs against Southern Connecticut State.
Rollins closed the invitational with a five-set loss to St. Mary's, despite 20 kills from Grange and 12 kills from Goodloe. Goodloe also added five block assists, while Vivian Scuteri contributed seven kills and four block assists. Across the four-match weekend, Grange finished with 42 kills and 37 digs, Goodloe recorded 37 kills and nine block assists, and Yarborough added 33 kills, 23 digs and five block assists. The Nighthawks will look to slow down a Rollins offense that has produced multiple consistent attacking options throughout its opening weekend.
All-time vs Rollins College:
In NNU's DII history the Nighthawks have only faced Rollins College one time on August 25, 2022. In the home game the NNU team put together a strong performance to take the 3-0 victory.
