FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Five Lumberjacks recorded double figures in kills as

Northern Arizona defeated the Sacramento State volleyball team, 3-2 (15-13,

9-15, 13-15, 15-8, 15-7), in a Big Sky Conference match Thursday evening at

Rolle Activity Center in Flagstaff, Ariz. With the victory, the Lumberjacks

tied the Hornets for first place in the conference with one match remaining

on the regular season schedule for both teams.

Sacramento State, which beat Northern Arizona at home earlier this year,

3-0, still owns the tiebreaker over the Lumberjacks due to the Hornets

winning the higher percentage of total games won between the two teams. The

Hornets control their own destiny where if they win at Cal State Northridge

this Saturday, Nov. 11, they will be crowned Big Sky regular season

champions for the fourth-consecutive season and host the conference

tournament Nov. 16-18.

The Hornets have defeated Cal State Northridge eight of the last nine times

the teams have played each other including a 3-0 victory earlier this year

in Sacramento.

With the win, the Lumberjacks improved to 16-5 overall and 11-4 in the Big

Sky while the Hornets dropped to 18-11 overall and 11-4 in the conference.

Northern Arizona hosts Weber State this Saturday to close out its season.

If Sacramento State loses and Northern Arizona wins on Saturday, the

Lumberjacks will host the Big Sky Tournament.

Sophomore Jayme Wright led the Hornets with 21 kills in the match including

a .356 hitting percentage, nine digs, seven blocks and eight assists.

Juniors Tasman Dwyer (15) and Esther Rogers (13) and freshman Lisa

Beauchene (12) also chipped in double figures in kills. Maggie Barrera's

match-high 30 kills paced Northern Arizona while setter Whitney Donahue

added a match-high 78 assists.

Northern Arizona led the Hornets in almost every major statistical category

including hitting percentage (.286-.190), kills (92-74), assists (84-69)

and team blocks (15.0-12.0). After the Hornets had taken a 2-1 lead in the

match, the Lumberjacks posted hitting percentages of .327 and .444 in the

fourth and fifth games, respectively, to win the final two frames

relatively easily.

The Hornets' match at Cal State Northridge this Saturday begins at 7 p.m.