ARLINGTON, Texas - The Southern Utah University women's volleyball team competed against the UT Arlington Mavericks on Thursday, Oct. 3, losing 3-1. The Thunderbirds drop to 6-8 on the season and 2-1 in the Western Athletic Conference while the Mavericks improve to 13-2 and 3-0 in conference play.
Head Coach Kacey Nady Said:
"UTA is a talented team that was consistent and aggressive. There were some things that we have seen develop and transfer from attention to detail in practice; at the same time, we have a lot more to get better at. I'm excited for this group to keep progressing."
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Match Recap
After seeing the Mavericks open with the first two points, the Thunderbirds began to attack, finding themselves down only four early, 9-5, before a 6-0 run from UTA gave them a 15-5 lead halfway through the set. Southern Utah looked to respond with aces from Madison Walker and Andrea Spasojevic, but the lead proved insurmountable as Arlington held serve to take the first 25-13.
The second set started similarly to the first, with the Mavericks scoring the first eight points of the frame. Despite the deficit, SUU continued to attack, crawling back into the game with the score reading 15-9 in favor of UTA. However, this would be as close as the 'Birds would get, as Arlington would ride the momentum of a 6-0 scoring run to win the game 25-14 and take a 2-0 match lead.
Set number three was a back-and-forth affair for both clubs, with Southern Utah responding to each Mavericks scoring run to find themselves up 15-12 at the media timeout. Coming out of the break, the Thunderbirds continued to attack, holding serve to find themselves up 22-17 knocking at the door of a set win. Two quick points from UT Arlington cut into the lead, but three straight errors from their opponent gave SUU the 25-19 win and extend the match to a fourth set.
After scoring the first three points of the set, UTA rode that momentum to give them a 15-5 lead at the halfway mark. With their backs against the wall, the Thunderbirds stayed aggressive, scoring seven of the next ten points to see them down only seven, 18-11. However, the rally proved not enough as the Mavericks would score seven of the next nine to ice the frame 25-14 and win the match 3-1.
Up Next
The Thunderbirds will have a quick turnaround as the team will travel back home on Saturday, Oct. 5 to take on rival Utah Tech. First serve is slated for 1:00 p.m. MT and will be live on ESPN+.
Tickets
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