CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah volleyball team will compete in the UCI/adidas Invitational hosted by UC Irvine from September 3-4 this weekend in Irvine, California. They will be playing three games over two days against Boise State, George Mason University, and UC Irvine.
Last Time Out
The Thunderbirds competed in the dōTerra Classic last weekend and picked up their first win of the season. They beat Long Island University 3-2 (20-25, 25-18, 25-18, 15-25, 15-11) in the weekend finale, giving head coach Kacey Nady the first win of her career.
Freshman Isabella Saucedo led all attackers in the match with 15 kills. She also hit .394, had nine digs, and contributed on two blocks. Fellow freshman Carissa Richie had 11 kills with five blocks and a .400 hitting percentage. Corrin Peterson had 40 assists and 10 digs while Raegen Ashby put up seven blocks.
Saucedo led the team in kills with 26 in her first weekend as a Thunderbird. She averaged 2.36 kills per set and also had seven blocks. Ronnie Robinson had 24 kills in just two matches, averaging 3.00 per set. Both Ashby and Richie had 13 blocks apiece.
UCI/adidas Invitational Preview
The T-Birds will play the likes of Boise State, George Mason, and UC Irvine in California over the weekend.
Boise State opened the 2021 season hosting Dixie State, Long Beach State, and Montana State for the Boise Invitational. They went 2-1 on the weekend, beating the Trailblazers and the Beach, but falling to the Bobcats. Junior Lauren Ohlinger had 46 kills on the weekend and also led the team in digs with 35.
George Mason hosted the D.C. Challenge last weekend, playing two games against American University and Howard University, winning both. Freshman Olyvia Kennedy was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week after averaging 3.43 kills per set with a .293 hitting percentage over the two matches.
UC Irvine was in Pocatello for the opening weekend, competing in the Bengal Invitational hosted by Idaho State. The Anteaters beat the Bengals and Seattle University, but lost to UTEP, going 2-1 on the weekend.
Tournament Information
The Thunderbirds will open the tournament on Friday September 3 against Boise State at 4:00 p.m. Mountain time (3:00 p.m. Pacific time). On Saturday September 4, the T-Birds will take on George Mason University at 4:00 p.m. Mountain time (3:00 p.m. Pacific time) and the host Anteaters at 8:00 p.m. Mountain time (7:00 p.m. Pacific time).
Southern Utah's match against UC Irvine will be streamed live on ESPN+, however there will not be a stream for their other two matches. Live stats will be available for all three matches at ucirvinesports.com.
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.
