CEDAR CITY, Utah - Coming off of their seventh sweep of the year, the Southern Utah University women's volleyball team is back on the road this weekend for two substantial conference matchups. First, the Thunderbirds will head to Stephenville, Texas, for a game against the Tarleton State Texans on Thursday, Nov. 7 at 5:00 p.m. MT before going to Abilene for a midday clash against the ACU Wildcats on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 10:00 a.m. MT.

Head Coach Kacey Nady Said:

"This week, we have an opportunity to improve on the road. Both teams play better at home, and we look forward to playing them at their best."

Top T-Birds

• Andrea Spasojevic leads the club in total kills with 235.
• Teniyah Leuluai effectively sparks the offense with 8.48 assists per set, the third-best mark in the Western Athletic Conference.
• Arianna Rossi protects the defensive backcourt with 3.10 digs per set, ranked eighth in the conference.

Last Time Out

On Saturday, Nov. 2, the Thunderbirds secured a home sweep over the Seattle University Redhawks.

The Thunderbirds came out of the gate firing, cashing in on the first four points of the match on their way to a dominant 10-3 advantage early. After a timeout from the Redhawks, Seattle began to crawl back into the set, matching Southern Utah in points before going on a 7-0 scoring run to give them a slim 14-13 lead. Despite the momentum from their opponent, SUU held serve, continuing to battle back and forth with Seattle to see the score tied at 20 late. Led by the service of Kennady Charlton, the Thunderbirds knocked off four straight points and despite a quick point by the road team, went on to claim the first set 25-21.

Set number two began much closer for both squads, with Southern Utah holding a three-point advantage early, 9-6, before notching a 4-0 run on their way to a 15-9 lead at the halfway point of the set. But the Redhawks began to fight back, getting two separate 3-0 runs of their own and getting as close as three late in the frame. With their opponent fighting back, the Thunderbirds took advantage of a service error and finally iced the set 25-20 with a block from Charlton to give her team the 2-0 match lead.

Both teams opened the third similar to the second, with the clubs battling back and forth before a 4-0 run from the home team gave them a 10-8 lead. With Seattle looking to avoid the sweep, Southern Utah began to fire on all cylinders, stringing together eight straight points and jumping on ten of 11 on their way to a 20-9 advantage late. The Redhawks looked to bounce back with a 3-0 and 4-0 scoring run, but the deficit proved too great as the Thunderbirds would take the third 25-17 and secure their seventh sweep of the season.

Scouting Report

Tarleton State Texans

• The Texans hold a 7-18 overall record on the season with a 2-10 mark in WAC play. Tarleton is coming off of home losses to California Baptist and Grand Canyon last weekend.
• Allison Bryant charges the offense with 3.76 kills per set.
• Megan Hodges (603) and Yuna Ansquer (356) share primary setting duties, leading the team in total assists.
• Emma Halcomb leads the defense with 400 digs on the season, which is second-best in the conference.

Abilene Christian Wildcats

• Abilene Christian is 8-15 on the year and 3-9 in conference. The Wildcats will play host to the UVU Wolverines before Saturday's match.
• Madeline Guffy spreads the wealth with a team-high 534 assists.
• Hannah Gonzalez protects the net with 63 total blocks.
• Bryley Steinhilber (222) and Sara Carrizales (220) each solidify the backcourt, leading the club in digs.

History

• Southern Utah is 2-1 all-time versus Tarleton State, with the Thunderbirds claiming the first matchup of the season 3-0 at home back on Sept. 26.
• The Thunderbirds lead the Wildcats 2-1 in all-time matchups, sweeping ACU 3-0 back on Sept. 28.

Tickets

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

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