CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University volleyball team will play two games on their home floor this weekend. Friday will see the Thunderbirds take on the UNLV Rebels, and on Saturday they will face the Idaho State Bengals.
Tournament Info
Dates: September 16-17
Location: Cedar City, Utah
Venue: American First Event Center
Game Schedule
Friday, September 16
Saturday, September 17
Tournament Preview
The UNLV Rebels come into Friday's matchup scorching hot, starting the season with an impressive 7-1 record. Their lone loss was a five set thriller where the University of Miami barely edged out the Rebels for the win. To say the Rebels have played some great competition thus far this season is an understatement. They defeated reigning Big Sky Conference Champions Weber State in four sets, and recently defeated No. 19 Kansas in a decisive 3-1 victory.
The Rebels are led offensively by Junior Isabel Martin, who through eight matches has averaged over 16 kills per game. Another key piece for UNLV is Graduate Student Jhenna Gabriel, who had an interesting arrival to the team. Gabriel had a stellar four year career at Texas, and originally came to the Rebels to be a volunteer coach. Upon arriving, Gabriel decided to use her fifth year of eligibility and take the court as a player, and to great success. The setter has averaged 38 assists per game, highlighted by a game where she recorded 66 assists. Southern Utah will look to slow down the explosive UNLV offense when they take the court on Friday.
The Thunderbirds second matchup of the homestand will see them take on Idaho State. The Bengals have had a productive season thus far, coming into the tournament with a 7-3 record. Idaho State has had to work hard for each win this season, as three of their victories came down to the wire in close five set matches.
The Bengals play a balanced game, looking strong on both ends of the court. On the offensive side, Junior Sadie Bluth has posted 13 kills per contest, while Setter Andri Dewey has consistently put her teammates in great attacking positions, averaging 26 assists per game this season. The defense is anchored by Sophomore Emrie Satuala, who has recorded an impressive 4.3 blocks per match. Two Bengals average more than 10 digs a game (Jamie Streit and Asiah Sopoaga), making the team a capable defensive unit. The Thunderbirds will aim to match the Bengals intensity and play a great all around game on Saturday.
An exciting weekend of Thunderbird volleyball is upon us. These challenging opponents will be a great way to get Southern Utah ready for conference play, which is just around the corner.
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