SACRAMENTO -- Victoria Marthaler had a match-best 27 kills, including five in the fifth set, to lead Sacramento State to a 3-2 victory (25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 18-25, 15-7) over Northern Arizona in match of two of the top teams in the Big Sky Conference.

Sacramento State (16-8, 9-3) moves into a tie for first place with Northern Arizona (19-6, 9-3) in the Big Sky standings with just four matches left in the regular season. 

The Hornets have won seven straight, which matches their longest winning streak in eight years. The 2023 squad also won seven in a row. Another win and the team's win streak would be the longest since the 2017 squad won 10 straight.

Sacramento State has also won nine straight at home, improved to 6-0 at the Nest vs. Big Sky competition, and now sit 29-2 all-time against Northern Arizona at home. The Hornets have also won at least nine Big Sky matches for the 11th straight season, and sit at a remarkable 75-12 at home vs. conference opposition since 2015.

Northern Arizona had its seven-match winning streak halted with today's loss as the Lumberjacks hadn't lost since a four-set defeat at Montana on Oct. 4. Sacramento State and Northern Arizona split the season series as NAU won in Flagstaff, 3-2 (15-13 in the 5th) earlier this year.

The Hornets never trailed in the fifth set as setter Kate Doorn served six straight points, including an ace to give the team a 6-0 lead. Northern Arizona would get no closer than within five points of that lead the rest of the way. Marthaler had five kills and hit .500 during the set while Ashlynn Archer had a pair of kills and a pair of blocks. The Hornets limited NAU to a -.042 hitting percentage (4-5-24) in the fifth.

The Hornets finished the match with more kills (63-56), aces (10-6) and team blocks (14.0-7.0). In fact, the blocks were easily a season high as five different Sacramento State players had at least four blocks, including Archer (8), Skyler Gartin (6), Greta Davis (5), Kate Doorn (4) and Marthaler (4). The third set 25-23 win concluded with a combo block from Doorn and Archer on set point.

Marthaler's 27 kills were 10 more than any other player in the match, and she also added three aces and 10 digs. With the score tied at 23-23 in the first set, the sophomore ripped two straight aces to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead. Archer had 14 kills and hit .429, and Gartin added 10 kills and a .444 to round out the Hornets with double-figure kills. Doorn had 51 assists, five aces and five digs, Davis had five kills, and Keonahi'ilani Solaita posted four kills and nine digs.

Libero Abbey Kadillak, playing for the injured Reese Ampi, finished with a match-high 17 digs. Amy Ito, back after missing two matches to injury, had eight digs and an ace. Mia Guevara finished with 10 digs. 

The Hornets' huge week continues when they host Northern Colorado on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Bears defeated Sacramento State in four sets in Greeley on Oct. 9. Northern Colorado is currently in third place, one game back of both the Hornets and NAU.