TUCSON, Ariz. - The Southern Utah University women's volleyball team competed against the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, Sept. 21, falling in three sets. The Thunderbirds move to 4-7 on the season while the Wildcats improve to 11-0.
Head Coach Kacey Nady Said:
"We came ready to compete. As a team, it was important to build our identity and who we wanted to be going into conference play next week; I believe we did a great job with our next ball mentality and that helped tremendously. Scores were close and we still aren't playing our best volleyball, so the room to grow is exciting."
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Match Recap
Set number one was an early back-and-forth affair for both clubs, with Victoria Zibecchi leading kills to tie the game at seven and eight. With the Thunderbirds up 13-11, a 3-0 run from the Wildcats allowed them to retake the lead before going into the media timeout with a 15-14 advantage. Coming out of the break, Southern Utah continued to fight, tying it back up at 17 apiece before Arizona cashed in on four straight kills. On the brink, the 'Birds continued to fight, but it wouldn't be enough as the Wildcats would hold serve the rest of the way, taking the first 25-21.
The second frame was all Arizona early on, with a 4-0 scoring run helping the club build a 7-3 lead early on. After a response from Southern Utah that included two separate 4-0 runs, the Wildcats held a 13-12 lead halfway through. After capitalizing on five straight, Arizona looked to put the set away, but three straight kills from SUU put them right back in it, with the score reading 18-15 in favor of the Wildcats. That would be the closest the club got, however, as Arizona would hold their lead through the rest of the way, winning set number two 25-19 and giving them a 2-0 match lead.
After opening the third with five straight points, Arizona continued to attack, holding a 15-9 lead halfway through the set. Despite the deficit, Southern Utah continued to attack, with kills from Zibecchi, Finley Charapata, and Carissa Richie putting their squad as close as three, 22-19. But after two quick kills from the Wildcats put them on the brink, the rally proved not enough as Arizona took the third 25-20, completing the 3-0 sweep.
Up Next
Southern Utah will return home to begin Western Athletic Conference play against the Tarleton State Texans on Thursday, Sept. 26. First serve is slated for 6:30 p.m. MT.
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