CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University volleyball program has plenty of reasons to be excited about the upcoming 2022 season. The T-Birds will look to improve from the previous year and compete as they enter their first year in the Western Athletic Conference. Head Coach Kacey Nady, now in her second season with the team, thinks this team has improved over last year's roster.

Coach Nady feels her squad is more prepared for this year. The team was able to have a spring season for the first time since COVID complicated the college sports landscape. Those extra games and time together add up and will prove to be a difference maker.

"We are better at volleyball," said Nady. "This team is so competitive. Our standards and expectations for each other are high. We come into practice every day knowing every contact is a time to get better. We are proud of what we are seeing."

A strong core of returning players will lead the T-Birds this season.

Senior Raegen Beeson looks to build upon her 2021 season which saw her lead the team in blocks (113) and rank second in total points scored (231). Beeson will look to up those numbers and play an important role in the offense. 

Another key returner is sophomore Rylee Achtzehn. An impressive freshman season saw her rank fifth on the team in total points (120.5) and kills (101). 

Fellow sophomore Molly McDermott boasted a versatile season last year, in which she led the team in aces (30), ranked second in assists (377), and fourth in digs (147).

Coach Nady has brought in some strong recruits this season to add to the mix of talented returning players. "We have a couple big pieces that came from junior colleges who were really successful at a national level." 

An important newcomer is Macy Short, a graduate transfer from Snow College. Short helped lead Snow to the NJCAA Championship game her freshman year. During her sophomore campaign she was named to the 2021 All-Region 18 First Team. Her experience will be valuable throughout the season.

Makenzie Templeton is another standout player joining the Thunderbirds. After leading Central Wyoming College to winning seasons during both of her years there, including an impressive run to the NJCAA National Championship, Templeton will now step onto the court as a T-Bird. Last season she led her team in kills, hitting percentage, and total points, while earning NJCAA All-American honors. Templeton will look to carry over this success to the court this season for SUU.

The Thunderbirds joined the Western Athletic Conference on July 1, leaving the Big Sky behind. With this change comes challenges that Coach Nady is excited for. "One of our jobs as coaches is to teach our players to handle adversity, and the WAC is more challenging," said Nady. "We are excited to see some really strong teams and to compete against them."

The season opens for the T-Birds on Friday, August 26, with two games in the Weber State Tournament against San Jose State followed by the host school Weber.

Conference play will begin on September 22 against California Baptist University, marking the Thunderbirds first game played in the WAC.

Some notable games will be played against in-state opponents this season. Rival Utah Tech will travel to face the T-Birds in Cedar City on September 24th. Utah Valley University will also visit SUU this season on October 22.

WAC tournament play begins on November 17th in Edinburg, Texas.

2022 has the potential to be an exciting year for the Thunderbirds. A team revamped with new and returning faces will have the opportunity to come together to compete in a strong Western Athletic Conference.

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