MONMOUTH, Ore. — Northwest Nazarene volleyball closed out a successful weekend on Saturday night, earning a 3-1 victory over Western Oregon for its second win of the weekend. The Nighthawks battled through a tightly contested opening set, responded after dropping the second, and finished strong with back-to-back set victories to take the match.
The win moves NNU to 9-4 overall and 3-3 in GNAC play as the Nighthawks continue to build momentum in conference action.
NNU opened the match in a back-and-forth battle with Western Oregon, with neither team able to create much separation. The Nighthawks eventually broke through late in the set, using kills from
Lily Kinloch,
Abby Black,
Maddy Hellem and
Madison Cheney to take a 21-19 lead. Western Oregon briefly fought back to even the score at 22-22, but NNU responded with three straight points, capped by consecutive kills from Kinloch, to take the opening set 25-22.
Western Oregon answered in the second, jumping out to an early lead and maintaining control throughout much of the frame. NNU continued to fight its way back, with
Kayci Spray providing a service ace and Hellem and
Whitleigh Walsh adding kills as the Nighthawks cut the deficit to 20-17. Black then helped keep NNU alive with a kill to make it 24-20, but the Wolves closed the set 25-20 to even the match.
The Nighthawks came out of the break with renewed energy, racing to a 7-1 lead in the third set. Black was at the center of the early push, recording three kills during the opening stretch, while Kinloch and
Jenna Holm also added kills.
Western Oregon slowly chipped away at the deficit, but NNU continued to answer. Cheney and Black combined for a strong stretch midway through the set, and a block from Holm and Black helped the Nighthawks maintain a 15-9 advantage. NNU pushed its lead to 23-16 late in the frame before the Wolves mounted a final rally, cutting the deficit to 24-21. NNU regrouped out of a timeout, and Cheney finished the set with a kill from
Addison Lynn to give the Nighthawks a 25-21 win and a 2-1 match lead.
NNU carried that momentum into the fourth set, battling through another early exchange before taking control. The Nighthawks built a 10-7 advantage behind kills from Hellem and Cheney, then used a combination of blocks and timely offense to extend the lead to 15-10.
Lynn added a service ace during a four-point NNU run that pushed the lead to 17-10. Western Oregon responded with a stretch of its own, but the Nighthawks continued to find answers. Hellem added another kill, while Holm and Kinloch teamed up for a key block to make it 23-18.
Kinloch then delivered a kill to put NNU at match point, 24-19. Black finished the night in style with the final kill, giving the Nighthawks a 25-19 fourth-set victory and a 3-1 match win.
Black led the Nighthawks offensively with 16 kills on 51 attacks, hitting .216 while adding 13 digs and 0.5 blocks for 16.5 points. Kinloch followed with 10 kills on 29 attacks and a .241 hitting percentage, finishing with 11 points and two blocks. Hellem added eight kills and three block assists, while Cheney contributed six kills and two block assists as NNU continued to find offense throughout the four-set win.
Lynn and Wilding combined to keep the Nighthawks' offense moving, finishing with 18 and 16 assists, respectively. Spray anchored the back row with a team-high 26 digs, while also adding an ace. NNU's blocking was another key part of the victory, with Holm recording 3.5 total blocks, including five block assists, and Black and Kinloch also contributing at the net.
The victory gives NNU its second win of the weekend and moves the Nighthawks to 9-4 overall and 3-3 in GNAC play. After a strong weekend on the road, NNU returns home next week looking to continue its momentum in conference play.
The Nighthawks welcome Seattle Pacific to Nampa on Thursday, Oct. 1, with first serve scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.
