CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University volleyball program (5-12, 4-4 WAC) put on a strong performance today, sweeping Seattle University (4-11, 0-7 WAC) in three sets.
Raegen Beeson set the tone early in set one, scoring four kills as the Thunderbirds took a 7-2 lead. SUU maintained a five point advantage until midway through the set, when the Redhawks battled back to trim the lead to only one (15-14). Macy Short helped spark the Thunderbirds' offense, recording one kill and two aces during a 6-0 run that put Southern Utah ahead for good. Raegen Beeson finished a strong set by recording the final kill, earning a 25-20 set win for SUU.
If the first set was dominated by Raegen Beeson, the second set was owned by Rylee Achtzehn, who recorded four kills at the beginning of the set to put the Thunderbirds up 9-2. Southern Utah didn't take their foot off the gas pedal. A pair of kills by Makenzie Templeton gave the T-Birds a 15-5 edge over the Redhawks. The lead proved to be insurmountable, and the Thunderbirds ran away with the set, taking it with a score of 25-14.
The Redhawks came out swinging to begin the third set. Seattle took a 10-7 lead and seemed to have all the momentum. Everything changed when SUU coach Kacey Nady decided to sub in Brooke Pattschull. The freshman immediately made an impact, adding a quick kill. Pattschull would add in two more kills in what would be a 7-2 run in favor of the Thunderbirds. Southern Utah found themselves ahead 14-12, and they didn't stop there. A furious 9-3 run put SUU in the driver's seat (23-16), and they took full advantage of the opportunity. Another kill by Brooke Pattschull followed by an attack error by the Redhawks would make the score 25-19, giving the Thunderbirds the set win. Southern Utah completed the sweep, winning the match 3-0.
When the Thunderbirds needed a kill, there were many players who could be counted on to deliver. Raegen Beeson, Rylee Achtzehn, and Makenzie Templeton were all prolific on the offensive end tonight, each tallying nine kills. Another impact player was Macy Short, who collected 35 assists to go along with nine digs and two aces. On top of her offensive performance, Raegen Beeson poured in a team-high four blocks.
With the win, Southern Utah improves to 4-4 in conference play and 5-12 overall.
Up Next
The Thunderbirds will return to the court on Saturday when the Utah Valley Wolverines come to town. The match is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. MT.
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