PREVIEW | Thunderbird Volleyball Prepares for Three Matches in Five Day Stretch 

CEDAR CITY, Utah -- The Southern Utah volleyball team will hit the road this week as they travel to Cheney, Washington to compete against the Eastern Washington Eagles on Thursday, then head to Moscow, Idaho to play the Vandals of the University of Idaho on Friday. After the two road matches the T-Birds will return home to face the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona University on Monday. 

"To be on the road for a long time is just a part of playing in the Big Sky," said head Coach Pete Hoyer. "We are prepared for two competitive matches and are looking forward to continuing our win streak while away from home. We also know that we have to return home with a fire under us as NAU is a great team and one that we will have to fight to win." 

Last Time Out

The Thunderbirds reigned victorious in both Big Sky matches last weekend as they toppled Montana and Montana State 3-1. The Thunderbirds are now 11-7 overall and 4-2 in BSC. The team's 11 wins give them the first season with double-digit wins since 2015 when they finished the season 15-15. SUU now sits in second place within Big Sky standings, behind University of Northern Colorado. 

Shannon Webb lead the Thunderbirds in kills as she tallied 34 over the course of the week. Corrin Peterson set a new personal career assist record with 56 during the Montana State match, totalling 96 assists over the week. Thea Leiataua led the T-Birds in digs with a total of 31. Katie Montgomery posted seven blocks over the weekend, six of them coming from the Montana match. 

Opponent Preview: Eastern Washington University Eagles (2-16 Overall, 0-6 BSC)

The Eagles fell to 3-1 to the University of Idaho and 3-0 to the University of Northern Colorado during last weeks competition. EWU is last in Big Sky standings. 

Ashlyn Blotzer leads the Eagles offense with 126 kills on the season, averaging 1.91 kills per set. Ana Paula Zandona tallies 446 assists on the year, averaging 7.19 assists per set. Puaoolelagi Sao leads EWU's defense with 246 digs on the season, averaging 4.06 digs per set. Blotzer is also atop the block column as she leads the Eagles with 46 total blocks. 

Leslie Flores-Cloud is amid her second season with EWU. 

The Thunderbirds will face the Eagles in Cheney, Washington on Thursday, October 17, at 7:00 p.m. MT. 

Opponent Preview: University of Idaho Vandals (8-10 Overall, 4-2 BSC)

The Vandals went 1-1 in last weeks competition as they first defeated EMU 3-1 then fell to UNC 3-1. Idaho sits in fifth within Big Sky standings. 

Kennedy Warren leads the Vandals in kills with 154 on the season, averaging 3.28 kills per set. Warren is fourth within the BSC in kills per set. Donnee Janzen tallies the most assists for the Vandals with 312, averaging 10.06 assists per set. Delaney Hopen is atop the digs column as she totals 284 digs for Idaho, averaging 3.89 per set. Kyra Palmbush posts 85 totals blocks on the season, 33 of them from BSC play. 

Debbie Buchanan is amid her twentieth season as head coach at Idaho. 

The Thunderbirds will face the Vandals in Moscow, Idaho on Friday, October 18, at 6:00 p.m. MT. 

Opponent Preview: Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks (10-8 Overall, 3-3 BSC)

The Lumberjacks split lasts weeks competition as they fell 3-2 to Montana State and defeated Montana 3-2. NAU is sixth within Big Sky standings. 

Middle blocker Abby Akin leads NAU in both kills and blocks with 183 kills on the season and 91 total blocks. Akin averages 2.65 kills per set and 1.32 blocks per set. Abby Stomp has 407 assists on the season, averaging 5.65 assists per set. Jasmine West leads the Lumberjacks defense with 282 digs on the year, averaging 4.55 digs per set. 

Ken Murphy is within his seventh season at the helm of NAU's program. 

The Thunderbirds will face the Lumberjacks in Cedar City, Utah on Monday, October 21, at 6:30 p.m. MT. 

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