RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The Southern Utah University women's volleyball team fell in four sets to the California Baptist Lancers on Thursday, Oct. 24. The Thunderbirds move to 4-5 in the Western Athletic Conference while the Lancers improve to 2-7 in conference play.
Head Coach Kacey Nady Said:
"Something we were looking to key in on was blocking, and tonight was one of our better blocking matches of the year. Serving needs to be much tougher to get their offense in trouble every match."
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Match Recap
Set number one was a game of runs for both teams, with two separate 4-0 runs and a 3-0 run from the Thunderbirds putting them up 15-11 at the halfway mark of the frame. Down only four, the Lancers began to respond, putting together a 3-0 run of their own and matching points with their opponent to see the score tied at 21 apiece. With California Baptist gaining momentum, the duo of Finley Charapata and Teniyah Leuluai combined to score the last four Southern Utah points before an ace from Charapata put the set on ice 25-22 and gave her team a 1-0 lead.
The second set featured a much faster start for the home team, as the Lancers built a 15-6 lead going into the set's halfway point. Southern Utah looked to build momentum on two quick points, but a 3-0 run and a 5-0 run from California Baptist proved to be too much as they went on to claim the set 25-11 and tie the match at one game apiece.
Frame number three began similarly to the first, with both teams exchanging runs to see the scoreboard read 14-14 halfway through. A 6-0 scoring run from the Lancers gave them momentum, but the Thunderbirds continued to fight, taking advantage of errors from their opponent to match them point-for-point. However, the rally wasn't enough as California Baptist would take the third 25-18 and put them one win away from the victory.
After a strong start from Southern Utah gave them a 5-3 lead early in the fourth, the Lancers began to attack, firing off eight straight to put them up 11-5. Despite the deficit, the Thunderbirds continued to fight, matching their competitors' momentum and stringing together a 3-0 run to see them down only three late, 19-16. Despite the rally, the lead proved too great as California Baptist capitalized on six of the last eight to win the fourth 25-18 and give them the 3-1 win.
Up Next
The team will wrap up the road trip as they travel down to Arizona for a rematch against the Grand Canyon Antelopes on Saturday, Oct. 26. First serve is set for 2:00 p.m. MT, and fans can watch live on ESPN+ or follow along with live stats here.
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