CEDAR CITY, Utah – Southern Utah volleyball (2-13, 1-3) will continue its Texas trip in Stephenville as it faces Tarleton State. The Thunderbirds will aim to bounce back after losing a heartbreaker on Thursday in five sets. The Thunderbirds saw moments of domination and will look to find consistency in the match.
Last Time Out
The first set saw the Thunderbirds jump out to an early 11-2 lead. Aleeya Jones recorded three consecutive service aces to fuel the Thunderbirds' offense. Abilene Christian would look to reverse the momentum and record four straight points, two of which came off errors by the Thunderbirds to cut the Southern Utah lead to 13-7. Southern Utah would go on a 7-2 run to go up 20-9. The early lead would prove to be too much against the Wildcats as the Thunderbirds secured a 25-19 set win.
The second set would see both teams trading blows in exciting fashion. A mid-set offensive explosion saw the Thunderbirds take a 20-18 lead, led by back-to-back service aces by Amaya Tobias. Southern Utah would control the rest of the set to win 25-21.
Southern Utah took the lead midway through the third set behind a kill by Kaitlyn Hoelker and a service ace by Swayzee Mason. The Thunderbirds would lose control late as Abilene Christian closed the set on an 8-1 run as Southern Utah lost the set 19-25.
The Thunderbirds would stick around the fourth set due to Abilene Christian errors. Southern Utah saw the Wildcats go on a 7-1 run to trail 20-11, and that deficit would be too much to overcome as the Thunderbirds dropped the fourth set 16-25.
The bleeding would continue in the fifth set, as Abilene Christian would come out on fire, and the Thunderbirds suddenly saw themselves trailing 0-10. Victoria Zibecchi and Aleeya Jones would provide some offense, but it wasn't enough as the Thunderbirds lost the set 6-15.
Thunderbirds Standouts
- Victoria Zibecchi – Leads the team with 140 kills (2.33 per set) and a .163 hitting percentage, anchoring SUU's offensive attack.
- Addyson McArthur – Key scorer with 99 kills (1.87 per set), providing consistent firepower from the outside.
- Kaitlyn Aleshire – Versatile contributor with 91 kills and 13 service aces, giving the Thunderbirds a balanced offensive threat.
Defense
- Aleeya Jones – Anchors the back row with 142 digs (2.37 per set) and a .977 reception percentage, controlling SUU's defensive efforts.
- Kaitlyn Aleshire – Adds 56 total blocks (0.93 per set), proving crucial at the net.
- Amaya Tobias – Front-row presence with 53 blocks (0.88 per set), consistently disrupting opponents' attacks.
Scouting Tarleton State
Tarleton State (8-8, 2-2 WAC) is a balanced, defensive-minded team that thrives on blocking and long rallies. The Texans hit .212 on the season and average 2.3 blocks per set, using their size at the net to slow opponents' attacks. While they tally 730 kills, their 310 errors show they can be forced into mistakes with consistent pressure. From the service line, Tarleton averages just 1.3 aces per set and matches that total with 96 errors, leaving room for opponents to capitalize on free points. Their 14.3 digs per set make them tough to finish against, but serve-receive issues have been an issue for the Texans. Tarleton State averages 1.6 errors per set, a weakness that can be exploited with aggressive serving.
Coach's Corner
Head Coach Danielle Jensen said, "Tarleton is a strong serving team, so we'll need to win the serve-pass battle. We also have to stay consistent throughout the match and play tough defense if we want to come away with the win."
Game Information
Opponent: Tarleton State Texans
Date/Time: Saturday, October 11 - 12:00 PM MT
Location: Wisdom Gym - Stephenville, Texas
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Here
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