CEDAR CITY, Utah - Coming off of a big win at home against the Trailblazers, the Southern Utah University women's volleyball team will stay in the America First Event Center for two big-time matchups. First, the Thunderbirds will host the Lancers of California Baptist on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 7:00 p.m. MT before wrapping up the weekend against the Grand Canyon Antelopes on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7:00 p.m. MT.

Head Coach Kacey Nady Said:

"We are looking to carry over momentum from Saturday into this week. We have two competitive programs that we get to compete against that have a lot of different strengths. In the same breath, our team is finding a steady identity of confidence, and we get better and better every week. I am very excited to see what we accomplish!"

T-Bird Tidbits

• Reigning Western Athletic Conference Setter of the Week, Teniyah Leuluai controls the offense with nearly 8.5 assists per set, third in the conference.
• Carissa Richie leads the club in hitting percentage at over 30% on the year, good for fourth in the WAC.
• Defensively, Arianna Rossi hustles for 3.42 digs per set, sixth-best in the conference.

Last Time Out

On Saturday, the Thunderbirds triumphed in four sets at home over rival Utah Tech.

Southern Utah came out of the gate firing, scoring the first five points of the match to power their way to a 13-7 lead halfway through the set. After a 5-0 scoring run from the Trailblazers gave them a one-point deficit, 13-12, the Thunderbirds continued to hold serve to claim a 20-16 advantage late. After a point-for-point battle that saw the score 22-18 in favor of the home team, SUU fired off three of the last five points to take set one 25-20.

The Trailblazers started the second strong, holding an early 4-3 lead before a 5-0 and 6-0 scoring run saw the Thunderbirds take a dominant 14-6 advantage at the halfway mark. Despite three straight from Utah Tech coming out of the break, Southern Utah continued to attack, responding to each kill with a point of their own before another scoring run of three put them on the brink, 24-17, before a kill from Andrea Spasojevic put it on ice 25-17 to give the Thunderbirds a 2-0 lead.

In the third, UTU flipped the script, taking an early lead with a 4-0 scoring run and riding that momentum throughout the frame, holding an early 13-6 lead. Despite the deficit, Southern Utah stayed steady, chipping into the lead to show the score 20-16 in favor of Utah Tech. However, the rally proved not enough as the Trailblazers would claim the third 25-18 and send the match into a fourth set.

Set number four was a back-and-forth affair for both clubs, with the game tied at 15 in the middle of the frame. Going into the second half, both teams continued to attack, going point-for-point before two straight from the Thunderbirds gave them a slight 21-19 edge before two quick kills from the Trailblazers tied it up once again. With Utah Tech up 24-23 knocking on the door of a fifth set, the offense came alive, securing two straight points before a kill from Finley Charapata blocked all chances of a comeback, giving her team the 26-24 set win and a 3-1 match victory.

Scouting Report

California Baptist

• The Lancers are 1-13 on the season and 1-3 in the conference, coming off a 0-3 road loss to GCU on Monday.
• Offensively, the team is led with a balanced attack by Eliana Posada (112), Kali Wolf (105), and Nicole Mauser (102).
• Wolf (384), Posada (336), and Mauser (323) also lead the club in assists.
• Madison Gilliland protects the net with 42 total blocks.

Grand Canyon

• Grand Canyon is 10-5 and 3-1 on the year, sweeping California Baptist 3-0 on Monday night.
• Tatum Parrot leads the offense with 174 total kills on the season.
• Taylor Kubacak spreads the wealth to the tune of 7.52 assists per set.
• Mykenna Nelson hustles defensively, leading the club in total digs with 212.

History

• CBU leads SUU all-time 5-1, claiming last year's matchup 3-0.
• The Antelopes lead the Thunderbirds 4-1 in all-time matchups, winning both matches 3-0 last season.

Tickets

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

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