CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University volleyball team (3-11, 2-3 WAC) defeated Abilene Christian (9-10, 1-4 WAC) today, winning in three sets.

The first set began as a close contest. After the Wildcats tied the set at 3-3, Southern Utah scored five of the next six points to extend their lead (8-4). The Thunderbirds continued this offensive barrage, and a kill by Makenzie Templeton made the score 14-9 midway through the match. For most of the set the T-Birds had held on to a comfortable lead, but the Wildcats refused to go down without a fight. ACU stormed back with a 5-1 run to trim the lead to only one point (15-14). The momentum appeared to be in the Wildcats favor, but Southern Utah responded. It was a total team effort, with many players adding kills of their own. The Thunderbirds sprinted to the finish line with a 10-2 run to take the first set 25-16.

The Thunderbirds came out strong to start set two, taking a 4-2 advantage right off the bat. The Wildcats swung back with four points of their own to take a slim lead. After Southern Utah tied things at six points apiece, it appeared that the set was going to be a battle. Brooke Pattschull recorded back to back kills to keep SUU ahead, but the Wildcats were right at their heels. The Thunderbirds lead was only one point (11-10). With no clear advantage either way, the set looked ripe for the taking. So the Thunderbirds decided to take it. SUU leapt ahead with a scorching hot run, scoring seven of the next eight points to take a commanding 18-11 lead. The run was highlighted by a pair of aces by Molly McDermott and two kills by Raegen Beeson. The T-Birds never looked back and took the second set 25-17.

The Wildcats came out swinging to begin the third set, building an 8-2 lead early on. The Thunderbirds slowly began to chip away at the score. Rylee Achtzehn helped spark the offense for Southern Utah, as her two kills were part of a 4-0 run that brought SUU back into the game. The Thunderbirds had shortened the Wildcat lead to three (15-12) as they approached the most critical stretch of the game to this point. Southern Utah rose to the occasion, and after a huge block by Molly McDermott, the two squads saw themselves tied at 17-17. ACU scored, but Carissa Richie wouldn't let the Wildcats stay ahead for long. Carissa played terrific volleyball down the stretch, first by recording a kill to tie the match, then by locking down on defense and blocking back to back attempts by ACU, giving SUU the lead. The Thunderbirds capitalized on this momentum, winning the set 25-21, and the match 3-1.

Makenzie Templeton was a standout player for the Thunderbirds, tallying 12 kills to go along with eight digs. Another player who was instrumental in the win today was Raegen Beeson, who recorded nine kills on remarkable efficiency (.818). Macy Short played a spectacular game, totaling 32 assists and 12 digs, while Sarah Gasper led the team overall in digs with 19.

With the win, Southern Utah improves to 3-11 overall and 2-3 in conference play. The Thunderbirds played like a well oiled machine tonight, and will look to carry this momentum into the rest of the season.

Up Next

The Thunderbirds will be back on the court on Saturday against Tarleton State. The match is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. MT. 

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