Respect the Hustle is where GreeAlityTV puts the effort on camera: the dives, the scrambles and the plays that don't always make the box score.

A giant inflatable volleyball outside the UNC arena before the Northern Arizona match
Game day at UNC: the giant volleyball outside the arena, about an hour before first serve.

Back Home, Back to Work

Northern Colorado came home on Oct. 22 with something to prove. The Bears had dropped two straight on the road: a five-set heartbreaker at Idaho State, then a 3–1 loss at Weber State. Waiting at Bank of Colorado Arena was a Northern Arizona team that had come in at 13–8.

The Bears answered. UNC won 3–1, taking the first set 25–22 and running away with the second 25–14. Northern Arizona punched back to take the third 25–22. The Bears closed it out in a tight fourth set, 25–23.

Final: UNC 3, Northern Arizona 1 (25–22, 25–14, 22–25, 25–23). The win snapped the skid and evened the Bears' record at 10–10.

The arena marquee lights up before the match.

The Hustle Plays

A first set decided 25–22 is a set of long rallies, chased-down balls and points that have to be earned twice. Our camera caught one of them early. Watch the Bears work the point all the way to the floor:

UNC wins a point early in the first set against Northern Arizona.

That's the night in one rally. Northern Arizona kept coming, especially in the third set, and the Bears kept getting to the next ball. In a fourth set that went down to 25–23, that's the difference.

The Bench and the Stands

Volleyball runs on energy, and UNC brought its own soundtrack. During a break in the action, the band kept the arena going, which is exactly the kind of noise that helps a team protect a home floor.

The UNC band plays through a break in the action.

What Happened Next

The NAU win started a strong stretch. After a 3–2 loss at Portland State, the Bears came home and settled both scores from that road trip: they beat Weber State 3–2 on Oct. 29, then swept Idaho State 3–0 on Halloween. That puts them at 12–11 overall and 8–4 in the Big Sky.

Up Next

The Bears go on the road to Idaho (Thursday, Nov. 5) and Eastern Washington (Friday, Nov. 6), both at 7 p.m. MT. They're back at Bank of Colorado Arena for Southern Utah on Thursday, Nov. 12, and Utah Tech on Friday, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m.

Shot something from the stands? Send it our way. The best fan clips end up in Respect the Hustle.