SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. –Volleyball dropped its final game of the Seton Hall Tournament 3-1 to Northern Arizona, bringing the team to 3-3 early in the season. The Explorers began on the front foot by extending their six-set winning streak to seven, but the Lumberjacks rallied thereafter. Senior
Kathryn Wood (34 assists, 12 digs) and junior
Samantha Graver (11 kills, 15 digs) both finished with double-doubles.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Explorers recorded the first two points, but Northern Arizona found its rhythm early, opening up its biggest lead of the set at 14-9. A turnaround occurred after that point; La Salle finished the set on a 16-6 run. Over that period, Graver tallied four kills and an ace, while Wood served up five assists and two aces.
- The two teams began by trading blows in the second frame before the Lumberjacks took a strong lead on a 9-3 run. La Salle fought back to 12-9 and within striking distance, but again its opponent kept them at bay with a 4-1 spurt. After that, neither team could muster another run—the closest La Salle would come within was four.
- The stare down continued into the third set: neither team gave an inch or held a lead greater than two for the first half of the frame. It wasn't until Northern Arizona extended a lead to 14-10, and even that was short lived with the Explorers battling back to within two. The Lumberjacks, however, only needed that momentary advantage to open the game up and embark on an eight-point run, putting the score at 22-12 and the set out of reach for La Salle.
- There were plenty of moments in the fourth that seemed promising for the Blue & Gold. The team opened up a 4-1 lead, but Northern Arizona stayed close. La Salle held a 9-8 advantage and then heated up for six straight points, with sophomore Elizabeth Osborn recording all three of her aces in that stretch. The Lumberjacks would fight to within one and eventually tie the frame at 19-19, where again La Salle regained control with a 4-1 jaunt.
- The Explorers held set point at 24-22 and 24-23 but Northern Arizona proved resolute. Fans at the Walsh Gymnasiums would be treated to bonus volleyball, after all. La Salle would again have a chance to push to a fifth set when leading 27-26, but the opposing side flipped the scoreline to its advantage. The Explorers tied it, NAU took the lead, the Explorers tied it, NAU took the lead, the Explorers tied it, and only then did the Lumberjacks find two straight to take the game.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Four Explorers registered double-digit kills in the game. Senior Devin Corah led the way with 13, followed by freshman Marisa Guisti on 12, Graver with 11 and Osborn with 10.
- La Salle held an advantage in two categories against Northern Arizona: aces (11 to five) and digs (67 to 61).
- Freshman Rachel Hess yet again paced the Explorers in the latter, going for a game-high 22 digs, followed by Graver and Wood.
- Redshirt freshman Sarah Nahas also had a solid game for the Explorers, tallying well in a few categories. She was second on the team in assists with 10, while also going for eight digs and a pair of aces.
UP NEXT
- La Salle will head out to California next Friday for the Thunderdome Classic, facing off against Harvard, UC – Santa Barbara and #25 San Diego.
