CEDAR CITY, Utah — Southern Utah volleyball (2-16, 1-6 WAC) battled through four competitive sets but came up short in a 3-1 loss to Abilene Christian (9-14, 3-5) on Saturday afternoon. Despite trailing the Wildcats by only two total points across the match, the Thunderbirds couldn't close out key moments down the stretch.

Match Recap

The opening set saw the Thunderbirds take an early 5-1 lead with kills from Victoria Zibecchi and Kaitlyn Hoelker. The teams traded points until Abilene Christian mounted a 3-0 run to tie the score at 15 midway through the set. Southern Utah responded with a 3-0 run of its own behind a kill and an ace from Amaya Tobias. The Wildcats tightened up defensively and scored seven of the following 10 points. With the set tied at 24, Abilene Christian secured the final two points to take the opener 26-24.

Southern Utah looked to shift the momentum in the second set, jumping out to a 4-2 lead behind back-to-back kills from Zibecchi and another from Ezgi Kucuk. The Thunderbirds maintained control and later used a 3-0 run to extend the advantage to 14-9, fueled by kills from Kaitlyn Aleshire and Zibecchi. A late kill from Ajia Hughes pushed the lead to 24-18, and Southern Utah held on to win the set 25-20.

The Thunderbirds carried that momentum into the third set, opening with a 5-0 run to take a 6-2 lead. The Wildcats answered quickly with a 4-0 run to even the score at 6-6, then took the lead following a Southern Utah service error. Abilene Christian held the advantage for the remainder of the set. Despite a late kill from Aleshire, the Wildcats pulled away for a 25-17 win.

Southern Utah came out strong again in the fourth set, jumping ahead 4-1 with a kill from Aleshire and a service ace from Kucuk. The teams traded points before the Thunderbirds went on a 3-0 run, highlighted by kills from Kucuk, Dorina Bogar, and Aleshire. The Wildcats responded with a 5-0 run late in the frame to take a 20-19 lead. Southern Utah kept it close, but Abilene Christian closed out the set 27-25 to secure the 3-1 match victory.

Thunderbird Standouts

• Amaya Tobias turned in a strong all-around performance, leading the Thunderbirds with 11 kills, two service aces, and six blocks.
   
• Asya Akbulut directed the Southern Utah offense with 25 assists.
   
• Aleeya Jones anchored the defense with a team-high 14 digs.

Up Next

Southern Utah returns to action Thursday, Oct. 30, against Utah Valley at 6:00 p.m. MT. This will be the second time in three matches that the Thunderbirds will face off against the Wolverines. Southern Utah will look to avenge its loss against Utah Valley.

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