CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University volleyball team will take on UTRGV in the quarterfinals of the Western Athletic Conference tournament in Edinburg, Texas on Thursday. The match is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. MT.
Match Info
Southern Utah vs UTRGV
Date: November 17, 2022
Game Time: 6:00 p.m. MT
Location: Edinburg, Texas
Stream: ESPN+
Live Stream
Southern Utah (7-16, 6-8 WAC)
Makenzie Templeton paves the way for the Thunderbirds offense, racking up 2.97 kills each set. Rylee Achtzehn (2.33) and Raegen Beeson (2.13) also chip in over two kills a set. The attack is run by Macy Short, who finds her teammates for 8.36 assists each set.
On the defensive side of the net, Sarah Gasper collects 2.80 digs a set for SUU. Beeson leads the team in total blocks with 61 on the year, while teammate Carissa Richie has amassed 59 thus far this season.
Last Time Out
The Thunderbirds finale in conference play came against UT Arlington, where the Mavericks came on top after five close sets.
Achtzehn led the T-Birds with a career-high 17 kills, while teammate Beeson also tallied double-digit kills with 12. Defensively, Richie came up huge for the T-Birds with six blocks, with Achtzehn chipping in five blocks as well.
Southern Utah battled in a competitive match. Despite the loss, the Thunderbirds will aim to carry this energy into their quarterfinal match against UTRGV.
Scouting Report: UTRGV (24-5, 13-1 WAC)
The Vaqueros cruised through conference play en route to a 13-1 conference record, clinching the WAC championship. Their lone loss in WAC play came to Stephen F. Austin. Since then, UTRGV has been on a hot streak, winning five consecutive matches.
The Thunderbirds and Vaqueros have faced off once this season. UTRGV claimed a three set victory. Two of the three sets came down to the wire (25-22), making the match closer than the final score suggested.
Sarah Cruz has been killing it for the Vaqueros, compiling an impressive 4.43 kills each set to go along with 2.26 digs a set. Luanna Emiliano orchestrates the offense to the tune of 10.74 assists each set. Defensively, Regina Tijerina sets the bar high with a team-high 3.78 digs per set.
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