RECAP | Thunderbird Volleyball Knocked Down by Vikings in Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Southern Utah volleyball program fell in five sets to Portland State on Saturday, October 5, 2019. The Thunderbirds are now 9-7 overall and 2-2 in Big Sky Conference play. 

"Tonight was two teams with a lot of young players," said head coach Pete Hoyer. "We got edged out tonight and it was a lesson for all of us on things we need to change on our side of the net before we face Montana on Thursday."

Stacey Hone led the T-Birds in kills with 18, followed closely by Shannon Webb who had 17. Setter Corrin Peterson set a career high in assists with 54, beating her previous record of 52 assists in the five set Weber State match. Katie Montgomery led in blocks with six and services aces with four. Thea Leiataua tallied the most digs for SUU with 33.

The Thunderbirds opened the first set behind the Vikings but quickly tied things up at 7-7. SUU took their largest lead of the set at 14-12 after back-to-back kills from Raegen Ashby. The score knotted five times before the 20 point mark where PSU led by one at 21-20. An ace from Webb knotted the score for the eleventh time in the set at 21-21. Coming out of a Viking timeout, the Thunderbirds went on a 2-0 run putting themselves up at 23-21. Portland's head coach Michael Seeman called his second timeout after the SUU run. The set came within one at 24-23 where Hoyer took a timeout for the T-Birds. The set went on to tie eight more times before the Vikings took set one 33-31. 

SUU trailed PSU early in the second set at 6-5 but a 6-0 push by the Thunderbirds put SUU up by four at 10-6. Seeman called his first timeout of the set. The Thunderbirds came out of the break by extending their scoring run to 8-0. Seeman called his second timeout for PSU after back-to-back aces from Montgomery which increased the Thunderbirds lead to eight at 15-7. A kill from Webb put the Thunderbirds over the 20 point mark at 21-8. SUU's lead was too much for the Vikings to overcome as the T-Birds took the set 25-10. 

Portland opened the third set with a 6-0 run putting themselves up at 6-2. The Thunderbirds fought their way back to within two at 10-8 but the Vikings extended their lead to five at 15-10. Hoyer called his first timeout for the Thunderbirds but the Vikings came out of the break by extending their lead to 19-10. Hoyer called his second timeout in hopes to end the 6-0 PSU scoring run. Coming out of the timeout Webb scored for the Thunderbirds which brought SUU within eight at 20-11. The Vikings ran away with the set, taking the third as their own at  25-12.

The Thunderbirds went on an early 4-0 scoring run which enabled SUU to take the lead at 7-4. After the Vikings first timeout the Thunderbirds extended their scoring run to 6-1 putting them up at 9-5. SUU continued to separate themselves as they went up by six over Portland at 16-10. The Vikings came within four at 23-19 where Hoyer called the first SUU timeout of the fourth set. Coming out of the timeout the Vikings fought back within two at 24-22 where the T-Birds took their second timeout. A kill from Montgomery gave the Thunderbirds the set victory at 25-23. 

The Vikings went up 5-0 to start the fifth and final set. SUU fought back within three at 8-5 before the teams switched sides of the net. The Thunderbirds came within one at 9-8 but the Vikings fired back with a kill giving them the two point lead and side out. An ace from Montgomery knotted the score at 11 a piece. A middle attack from PSU gave the lead back to the Vikings at 12-11. The set tied at 12-12, 13-13 and 14-14 before Jordan White blocked Leiataua's tip putting Portland up 15-14. SUU called a timeout. Coming out of the timeout Montgomery and Hone blocked a Viking attack, knotting the score at 15-15. The set tied again at 16-16 and 17-17. The Vikings took the set 19-17 after a kill and a solo block. Portland won the match 3-2. 

Next Up

The Thunderbirds will host the University of Montana Grizzlies on Thursday, October 10, at 6:30 p.m. inside the America First Event Center. 

The theme for the match is "90's Night". Fanny packs among other items will be given away to select #TBirdNation fans in attendance. 

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