Box Score

SUU SUU 6-24, 5-13

UI UI 21-9, 15-3

SUU SUU

6-24, 5-13

Final

Nov. 17, 2018

UI UI

21-9, 15-3

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	F
SUU SUU	18	17	15	(0)
UI UI	25	25	25	(3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | 11/17/2018 10:09:00 PM | Taylor Whitson - SUU Athletics Strategic Communication

Thunderbirds fall to Vandals in Final Match of 2018 Season

MOSCOW, Idaho -- The Southern Utah University volleyball team played their last game of the 2018 season on Saturday night as they faced University of Idaho. The Vandals took the match 3-0, eliminating the Thunderbirds from the Big Sky Conference tournament next week.

Miranda Canez led the offense in kills with eight, hitting .538, followed by Katie Montgomery who had six kills for the evening and two blocks. Emma Mangum also totaled eight kills and added in a career high number of service aces with three. Libero Miahna Waters had 11 digs. Alexis Averett tallied 28 assists.

"As a team we are not too happy with how we performed," head coach Pete Hoyer said. "Take nothing away from Idaho because they are a great team and will probably do quite well in the tournament...We just could not connect like we had hoped to and unfortunately, at this level, you can't win games against teams like that if you have an off night."

Outside hitter Janet Kalaniuvalu was the first to put away a kill for the Thunderbirds in the first set of the match at 4-2. The Vandals then went on an early 6-1 scoring run putting themselves up by six at 11-5. SUU fought back by executing a 7-1 run led by Montgomery who had three kills in the scoring sequence allowing the Thunderbirds to come within three at 19-16. The Thunderbirds scored two more kills before the Vandals took the set 25-18.

Opening up the second set the Vandals put up seven points before the Thunderbirds got on the scoreboard. Two kills from Canez and two services aces from Mangum gave a late push allowing an SUU 6-1 scoring run to come within seven at 22-15. Despite comeback effort by the Thunderbirds the Vandals took the set 25-17.

"Our middles played outstanding offensively," Hoyer said. "We were so out of system that we couldn't get the ball to them as much as we would have liked to, which is unfortunate."

A Vandal service error opened the third set giving the Thunderbirds possession. SUU wasn't able to capitalize as the Vandals immediately earned a side-out after a kill from Carmen Reece. The Vandals used the side-out to carry them on a 6-0 scoring run. After a kill from Montgomery the Thunderbirds narrowed the Vandals lead down to three at 13-10. The Vandals ran away with the set earning them a set win 25-15 which gave them the match 3-0.

The Thunderbirds ended the season 6-24 overall, 5-13 in Big Sky play.

Stay updated on the Thunderbirds 24/7 by following @SUUVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram along with liking the Southern Utah Volleyball page on Facebook.

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