CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah volleyball team will be traveling west this week for matchups with Sacramento State and Portland State. They will take on the Vikings on Thursday October 7 at 8:00 p.m. and the Hornets on Saturday October 9 at 2:00 p.m.
Last Time Out
The Thunderbirds dropped two matches last week, falling to Northern Arizona 0-3 and Northern Colorado 1-3.
Freshman Rylee Achtzehn had a career night against the Bears despite the loss. Achtzehn had 13 kills behind a .333 hitting percentage and got in on six blocks, all three of which were career-highs for the Scottsdale native. Stacey Hone also reached double-digits in kills with 10.
Hone had 16 kills between the two matches, bringing her season total to 131, averaging 2.05 per set.
Stats & Trends
The Thunderbirds have started Big Sky play with a record of 1-3, their only win coming over Idaho on September 25. They have an overall record of 5-11 and currently sit in ninth place in the Big Sky standings.
The Thunderbirds are third in the conference in blocking, averaging 2.20 blocks per set. They are tied with Montana State for the most total blocks at 143 on the season. Reagen Ashby and Carissa Richie lead the defensive stand for the T-Birds, both averaging just over one block per set. They are ranked fourth and fifth in the Big Sky respectively.
Calli Johnson is ranked fifth in the Big Sky in digs, averaging 3.79 per set.
Scouting Report: Portland State Vikings (9-6, 3-1 BSC)
The Vikings are currently in the midst of a three-game winning streak and just completed their first road sweep since 2017. They beat both Idaho and Eastern Washington last weekend, winning both matches in straight sets.
Portland State currently holds the second-best hitting percentage in the Big Sky at .214 and are also holding opponents to a second-best .185. Ellie Snook leads the conference and is ranked 14th in the NCAA in digs, averaging 5.35 per set.
The Thunderbirds have won the last three matchups between the two teams, sweeping the two-game series in the spring.
Scouting Report: Sacramento State Hornets (7-7, 2-2 BSC)
The Hornets also swept their weekend series against Idaho and Eastern Washington, beating the Eagles 3-0 and the Vandals 3-2.
Sacramento State leads the Big Sky in blocking, averaging 2.41 blocks per set. They are also ranked second in service aces, averaging 1.59 per set. Junior Tiyanane Kamba-Griffin is the big blocker for the Hornets, averaging 1.15 blocks per set.
The Hornets have won six of the last seven matchups between the two teams with the T-Birds last winning in Sacramento in 2019.
Match Day Information
Thursday's match against the Vikings is set to begin at 8:00 p.m. Mountain time (7:00 p.m. Pacific time). Saturday's match against the Hornets is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. Mountain time (1:00 p.m. Pacific time).
Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live stats will be available at statbroadcast.com.
Tickets
Tickets for the Thunderbirds' next home match against Weber State on October 14 are available at tbirdtickets.com or the America First Event Center Ticket Office. Fans can also purchase Volleyball Season Tickets for access to every home match of the 2021 season.
Follow Us
Stay up to date during the 2021 Thunderbird Volleyball season by following @SUUVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram and liking the Southern Utah Volleyball page on Facebook.
