CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah volleyball team (3-12, 2-4 WAC) played Tarleton State (10-10, 2-4 WAC) today, losing a close contest in five sets.

Makenzie Templeton set the tone early, starting off set one with three consecutive kills. The Texans bounced back with some kills of their own to come back into the game. Neither team was able to maintain a clear advantage over the other, and after an ace from Molly McDermott the two squads found themselves tied at 15-15. The Thunderbirds saw themselves take a narrow lead (19-18), but the Texans replied with three straight points to take a 21-19 edge over SUU. Tarleton State's lead was short-lived, however. The Thunderbirds battled back with a 6-1 run to take the lead for good. The Thunderbirds took set one 25-22.

The second set was a different story. The Texans were explosive out the gate, taking a 6-1 lead. The Thunderbirds didn't fold. Brooke Pattschull recorded a kill to spark the offense. It was the first of four points in a row for Southern Utah, making the set competitive again. SUU stayed within striking distance until midway through the set, trailing by only three (11-8). Tarleton State used a 6-2 run to extend the lead even further. They never looked back, taking the set 25-19.

At this point it seemed the momentum had swung in favor of the Texans. They stormed out to an 8-2 advantage to begin the set. Despite some great play from both Carissa Richie and Raegen Beeson, who each tallied a pair of kills, the Texans kept the Thunderbirds at bay, seizing set three 25-15.

This time it was Southern Utah who started off hot, scoring four of the first five points. Tarleton State didn't falter, rallying back to tie things at 5-5. The next stretch of the game was a stalemate. The two teams wrestled for the lead, but neither squad could hold it for long. Rylee Achtzehn recorded a big kill to make the score 12-12, tying the set once more. Tarleton scored the next point, but something changed with the Thunderbirds play for the rest of the set. SUU woke up. A 6-1 run pushed the T-Birds ahead by four (18-14), and it was clear the momentum was on their side. The Texans mustered a run of their own, tying the match at 19 apiece. It was too little, too late. Southern Utah had found their stride. They looked in total control for the rest of the set, taking it 25-22, setting up a fifth and final round.

The Thunderbirds rode this momentum to a 5-2 advantage to begin set five. They maintained this three point cushion, as Raegen Beeson recorded her 10th kill of the day to make the score 8-5. The Texans weathered the storm. They would score six of the next seven points to jump back ahead (11-9). SUU took this punch and answered with one of their own, taking the lead back with a 3-0 run. The Texans remained poised, responding to the Thunderbird attack with a pair of kills, taking the lead once more. SUU didn't go down without a fight, as Makenzie Templeton tied the final set at 13-13 after an impressive kill. However, it was the Texans who would get the final say, scoring the last two points to win the set 15-13 and the match 3-2.

Despite the loss, many Thunderbirds played great games. Makenzie Templeton was brilliant on the offensive side of the game, recording 15 kills. Two other Thunderbirds tallied double-digit kills, as Molly McDermott had 11 and Raegen Beeson added 10. Macy Short did an excellent job setting up the offense, totaling 48 assists through five sets.

Up Next

The Thunderbirds will be back in action on Saturday as they travel to Texas to play Sam Houston. The match is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m. MT. 

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