BURNABY, B.C. – The Simon Fraser Red Leafs volleyball team took care of business against Northwest Nazarene Thursday, turning aside the visiting Nighthawks in four sets (25-17, 25-16, 19-25, and 25-14) at the West Gym in Burnaby, B.C. The win improved SFU to 3-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference contests, and 6-9 overall. NNU fell to 11-3 (4-2 GNAC).
 
Sophomores led the way for the Red Leafs. Outside hitter Jocelyn Sherman had a match-high 14 kills, while outside hitter Hanna Kolof recorded 10. Opposite Brooke Dexter knocked down nine. Freshman setter Eva Person recorded a career-high 36 assists, while freshman libero Ava Khademi led SFU with 17 digs. Junior middle Kalyn Hartmann contributed four aces and four block assists.
 
The Nighthawks competed without Olivia Wright, who is tied for the second-best hitting percentage in the GNAC, and is fourth in the league in kills per set. Natalie Sullivan, one of NNU's other main stars, led the team with 11 kills. Caroline McMahon was credited with 17 digs.
 
"I thought we played really well," said Sherman. "We had lots of good, calm energy out there. It was our goal not to get too hyped up, and stay focused on our game plan. This was a great win for us, and it gives us a lot of confidence going into the rest of the season."
 

 
With Kolof starting at the service line, SFU won the first nine points of the fourth set. The run began with a pair of kills by sophomore outside hitter Sophie Lachapelle, and concluded with a couple of Kolof aces. NNU got on the scoreboard via an error, but the Red Leafs went on another run, 6-1, to lead 15-2. From there, SFU was able to close out the match, ending the night with a Hartmann-Lachapelle combination block.
 
The Nighthawks won set 3 thanks in part to runs of 10-1, 5-1, and 5-1, with the latter sequence ending the set.
 
SFU and NNU were tied 6-6 early in the second set but the Red Leafs pulled away to lead 16-9. Sherman's kill wrapped it up at 25-16. The home side made just one attacking error and hit .500 in the set.
 

The opening game saw the teams battle back and forth, with SFU holding slim advantages before it strung together six points a row, capped off by a Hartmann ace, to go ahead 22-13.
 
The Red Leafs finished the night with a .213 attacking percentage compared to NNU's .143. They also out-aced the Nighthawks 12-4.
 
The game was one of three taking place on Burnaby Mountain Thursday as part of Simon Fraser varsity athletics' Truth and Reconciliation Night. Kwikwetlem First Nation Elder Marie Hooper welcomed volleyball fans to the match prior to the first serve. World champion hoop dancer Alex Wells (Lil'wat Nation) performed, with singing and drumming by his nephew and SFU student Frances James Jr. (Cree Nation). Traditional Indigenous food prepared by Mama Bear was sold at the contests.
 

Thursday's recognition was driven by the SFU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), in consultation with the SFU First Nations, Métis & Inuit Student Association. SAAC raffled prizes at the games with proceeds going to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society. 
 
SFU will host Central Washington at the West Gym Saturday at 7 p.m. The night's festivities will feature local band Savage Groove.

For the latest information on SFU Athletics, visit athletics.sfu.ca. You can also find us on social media at @SFU_Athletics.

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