CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University women's volleyball team fell 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-22) on the road at Utah Valley Saturday in the regular season finale. The loss drops the Thunderbirds record to 10-17 overall with a 6-10 mark in conference play. The Wolverines improved to 19-9 on the season and 10-6 in WAC play.
Head Coach Kacey Nady Said:
"We did a great job of slowing them down at the same time we spoke about the importance of staying aggressive throughout the whole match while staying above the block. When we stayed disciplined in skills, it was a different game. We must be disciplined."
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Match Recap
The first set between Southern Utah and Utah Valley at Lockhart Arena was a back-and-forth battle early on, with both teams fighting hard for every point. Finley Charapata and Kennady Charlton stepped up for the Thunderbirds with some big kills, thanks to solid setting from Teniyah Leuluai. But UVU started pulling ahead with some killer serves from Avery Shewell and Sami Blackett, racking up aces and putting pressure on SUU. Despite some great defensive plays, the Thunderbirds struggled to stop UVU's strong front line, led by Eliza Hakes and Alyvia Jaffa. UVU rode that momentum to take the set, 25-16.
The second set saw the Thunderbirds fighting hard to keep pace with Utah Valley's relentless pressure. Charapata delivered some strong kills, with solid assists from Leuluai, while Andrea Spasojevic and Amaya Tobias chipped in with key points to keep SUU in the game. However, UVU's aggressive serving, led by Shewell, and their dominating front line with Jaffa and Hakes made it challenging for the Thunderbirds to gain momentum. Despite some bright moments and defensive stops, the Thunderbirds couldn't close the gap, dropping the set 25-17 as UVU continued to control the net.
The Thunderbirds came out swinging in the third set, with strong kills from Victoria Zibecchi and Spasojevic keeping the game neck and neck early on. Leuluai contributed a timely service ace, and Tobias showed solid defensive skills at the net with critical blocks. Despite gaining some momentum and forcing errors from Utah Valley, SUU struggled to maintain consistency. Charapata's late kills kept the Thunderbirds fighting, but a string of UVU service aces and attacking errors ultimately sealed the set for the Wolverines at 25-22, leaving the Thunderbirds just short of a comeback.
Up Next
The Thunderbirds will head to Texas for the Western Athletic Conference tournament hosted by UT Arlington next week. The Tournament begins on Thursday, November 21, and continues through the weekend. All tournament matches will be available to stream on ESPN+. The Thunderbirds are awaiting the final seeding to know who they play and what time, so look for those details as they unfold.
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