SACRAMENTO -- Sacramento State freshmen Kalani Hayes (11 kills, 3 blocks, .364 hit%), Bridgette Smith (9 kills, 15 digs) and Caitlin Volkmann (9 kills) combined for 29 kills and helped Sacramento State to a 3-1 victory (25-18, 13-25, 25-14, 25-19) at Northern Arizona on Monday evening.

The Hornets (1-1) and Lumberjacks (1-1) split the season-opening two-game series as NAU was victorious by a 3-0 margin yesterday afternoon.

A dominant team at home, NAU had been 22-3 at home dating back to 2018. In fact, the Hornets had lost 12 straight in Flagstaff, a streak which dated back over 11 years. That streak is now over, and Sacramento State, using a rotation heavy in freshmen, won for the first time on NAU's home floor since Oct. 22, 2009.

The Hornets passed well all evening, had 10 aces, and limited NAU's potent offensive attack to a .217 hitting percentage. Sacramento State also had 55 digs, six team blocks and finished with five more kills than the Lumberjacks (45-40). The Hornets used a 9-0 run to close the third set, and a 10-3 spurt to close the fourth frame.

For the second straight day, Sacramento State used a starting lineup that featured three freshmen in middle blocker Hayes, outside hitter Smith and rightside hitter Karlee Soderberg (5 kills). Volkmann, an outside hitter that plays in the front row, came off the bench. The foursome combined for nearly 75% of the Hornets' kills.

Nine different Hornets had kills, and four accounted for the team's 10 aces. That includes three aces from setters McKenna Smith and Ashtin Olin, and two apiece from outside hitter Macey Hayden and libero Caty Cordano. Hayden added six kills and six digs. Cordano, who was inserted into the match at libero early in the first set after Paige Swinney was injured, responded with career highs in aces and digs (15).

McKenna Smith had 16 assists and five digs, Olin 22 assists and seven digs, and middle blocker Sarah Falk two kills and two blocks.

Sacramento State will play its first home matches of the season later this week against Idaho State. The Hornets will play the Bengals on Saturday at 6 p.m., followed by a matchup on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both matches will be played inside the Nest, but no fans will be allowed in attendance.