CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University women's volleyball team competed against Northern Arizona University on Tuesday, Sept. 17, losing in three sets. The Thunderbirds fall to 4-5 on the season while the Lumberjacks improve to 5-4.

Head Coach Kacey Nady Said:

"NAU is a very respectful team who played hard. We played timid and the good news is we have more opportunities, but we need to capitalize and play to win"

Top T-Birds

• Andrea Spasojevic led the offensive attack with eight kills to go along with three total blocks.
• Teniyah Leuluai effectively set up her teammates, compiling 16 assists in the match.
• Arianna Rossi brought the defensive hustle, bringing in 11 digs.

Match Recap

Southern Utah began the match strong, firing off five straight points to start the first. After a 6-1 run from the Lumberjacks tied it up at six apiece, the Thunderbirds responded with a balanced attack from Marlee Ervin, Carissa Richie, and Andrea Spasojevic to hold a 15-12 lead at the media break. Coming out of the timeout, the 'Birds continued to rack, with kills from Finley Charapata and Spasojevic giving the club a late 23-21 lead. However, a quick 4-0 run from Northern Arizona erased that lead and despite the rally efforts from Southern Utah, gave the Lumberjacks set number one 25-23.

The second frame started with much of the same from the Thunderbirds, with a furious 6-0 run giving the squad an 8-3 set lead. The scoring runs would continue for both teams, as a 6-0 response from the Lumberjacks would give them the 12-9 advantage before a 4-0 run from Southern Utah tied it up at 14 apiece. After an NAU service error gave the 'Birds a one-point advantage, the Lumberjacks began to take control, scoring seven of the next eight to go up 21-16. Despite another 4-0 advantage from Southern Utah to put it back within one, that would be the closest the club would get, as Northern Arizona would go on to put away the second 25-21.

In the third, the Lumberjacks flipped the script, stringing together a 4-0 and 5-0 run to take a 12-7 lead halfway through the set. With their backs against the wall, the Thunderbirds began to chip away at the deficit, led by big kills by Victoria Zibecchi and Spasojevic, the team found themselves down only one, 15-14. However, Northern Arizona took control once again, scoring three straight followed by a 7-0 scoring run to put the set on ice 25-16 and give their team a 3-0 win.

Up Next

The Thunderbirds will hit the road for their last two games of the non-conference schedule at the Wildcat Classic hosted by the University of Arizona. The team will begin play against North Dakota State at 4:00 p.m. MT on Friday, Sept. 20 followed by the host Wildcats on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 1:00 p.m. MT.

Tickets

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

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