CEDAR CITY, Utah - After two road matches last week, the Southern Utah University women's volleyball team will head the road again this weekend as the team gears up for two Western Athletic Conference rematches. First, the Thunderbirds will head west to take on the California Baptist Lancers on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 8:00 p.m. MT before busing down to Arizona to face off against the Grand Canyon Antelopes on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 2:00 p.m. MT.

Head Coach Kacey Nady Said:

"This week presents another opportunity to attack with full aggression; that's when this team is at its best. CBU has all of their starters back, so they'll be more challenging this time around. GCU will be as well with as many weapons as they have. The team has had this date marked on their calendar since the last time we played."

T-Bird Tidbits

• Andrea Spasojevic powers the offense with 197 total kills on the season, eighth in the WAC.
• Teniyah Leuluai continues her historic season, netting 8.35 assists per set, third in the conference.
• Arianna Rossi brings the defensive hustle, compiling a team-high 3.35 digs per set.

Last Time Out

On Monday, Oct. 21, Southern Utah lost in four in a rematch against in-state rival Utah Tech.

The first set began with a back-and-forth balanced attack from both squads, with a 4-0 run led by two service aces from Finley Charapata charging the Thunderbirds to an 11-8 score leading into a Utah Tech timeout. Coming out of the break, the Trailblazers lit up the scoreboard, capitalizing on eight straight points followed by another scoring run of six straight. Southern Utah looked to claw back into the game with kills from Charapata and Kennady Charlton, but Utah Tech closed out the set 25-15 to take a 1-0 lead.

Frame number two flipped the script, with neither team going up by more than two points throughout. With the score tied at 22 late, the Trailblazers had service with a chance to retake the lead, but a kill from Kennady Charlton gave the Thunderbirds the one-point advantage. Now on service, Charlton bounced the ball past the defender for a service ace, forced an error from Utah Tech to give Southern Utah the hard-fought set win 25-22, and tied the match at one apiece.

Southern Utah came out of the gate firing in the third, scoring the first four points of the game and forcing an early Utah Tech timeout. After regrouping, the Trailblazers began to dominate once more, taking the lead on a 6-0 run and holding a 17-9 lead at the halfway mark of the set. Four straight points from the Thunderbirds brought them within striking distance, 17-13, but eight of nine from their opponent shut the door on the comeback 25-14 and gave Utah Tech a 2-1 match lead.

In the fourth, a balanced attack from the Thunderbirds kept things close, with the team holding a slim two-point deficit halfway through, 14-12. Coming down the wire, both clubs exchanged points as the Trailblazers continued to hold their lead. Up 23-19, Utah Tech conceited two straight kills to put Southern Utah within two. However, this would be as close as the Thunderbirds would get, as the Trailblazers would capitalize on two points to win set number four 25-21 and give the team a 3-1 win.

Scouting Report

California Baptist Lancers

• The Lancers hold a 1-19 record on the year with a 1-7 conference mark, losing to Tarleton and UVU last weekend.
• Reigning WAC Freshman of the Year, Nicole Mauser leads the club with 2.32 kills per set.
• Reese Reed (328) and Avery Barber (276) share setting duties, leading the team in total assists.
• Madison Gilliland protects the net with a team-high 58 total blocks.

Grand Canyon Antelopes

• Grand Canyon is 13-7 on the year with a 6-2 WAC record, coming off of an 0-3 sweep by Arizona State on Monday night. The Antelopes will host UVU on Thursday before facing off against the Thunderbirds.
• Taylor Kubacak spreads the wealth to the tune of 561 total assists, which is the fourth-best in the conference.
• Mykenna Nelson protects the backcourt with a team-high 3.63 digs per set.
• Trista Strasser bolsters the defense with 100 total blocks on the season.

History

• The Thunderbirds hold an all-time record of 2-5 against the Lancers, with Southern Utah getting the sweep at home 3-0 back on Oct. 10.
• Grand Canyon leads the all-time series 5-1 against Southern Utah. The teams last played on Oct. 12 in a five-set thriller at the America First Event Center.

Tickets

For single-game tickets, be sure to visit tbirdtickets.com.

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