Bears Fall Short to Northern Arizona in Final Regular Season Match

Friday, November 21

Greeley, Colo.

6 p.m. MST

University of Northern Colorado

14-15,11-5Big Sky

Northern Arizona

23-6,13-3Big Sky

Northern Ariz.

Northern Colo.

Jesus Ayala | UNC Athletics

11/21/2025 8:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Elian Soto, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. - Northern Colorado volleyball (14–15, 11–5 Big Sky) hosted Northern Arizona (23–6, 13–3 Big Sky) on Friday night for its final home conference match of the 2025 season, which also served as Senior Night honoring five Bears seniors. In a hard-fought four-set battle, the Bears fell to the Lumberjacks in a competitive match up at Bank of Colorado Arena.

The opening set was a tightly contested back-and-forth, with both teams attacking gaps and extending rallies through strong defensive play. Northern Arizona pulled ahead 18–14, prompting a Northern Colorado timeout. The Bears responded with a quick surge, outscoring NAU 5–1 to tie things up. Despite tallying 21 kills in the set, Northern Colorado narrowly dropped the frame 25–27.

Set two opened with the same intensity. Both teams exchanged points, highlighted by big kills from Isabel Bennett and Zoe Gibbs, with assists from Nerea Alvarez Jorge. Their efforts helped the Bears take a 17–13 lead and force a Lumberjack timeout. NAU regrouped, however, and edged out a 26–24 win to go up two sets.

Northern Colorado answered in the third set, jumping out to an early lead behind strong swings from Brynn Reines and Alayna Tessena. Although Northern Arizona closed the gap, the Bears maintained control through timely rallies and aggressive offense, dominating the set 25–16 to extend the match.

The fourth set featured more back-and-forth play, with NAU striking first. Bella Van Lannen delivered key kills to keep the Bears within reach, but Northern Arizona's front row continued to apply pressure. The Lumberjacks closed out the set and secured the win in four.

The loss marks Northern Colorado's first home defeat in conference play this season.

With the regular season complete, the Bears now shift their focus to postseason play as they prepare for the Big Sky Tournament Championship, hosted at Bank of Colorado Arena beginning Monday, November 24.

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