Cedar City, Utah — Southern Utah volleyball (3-19, 2-9 WAC) put together a complete performance in a 3-1 victory over UT Arlington (11-12, 3-8) on Thursday night. The win marks the program's first against the Mavericks. Southern Utah was dominant in several areas, but one that stood out was outblocking UT Arlington nine to four, a stat that proved critical in clutch moments.

Match Recap

The first set saw both teams trade early points. An early kill by Kaitlyn Hoelker and a couple of Mavericks errors helped the Thunderbirds take a 5-4 lead. Amaya Tobias added a kill to keep pace, and Addyson McArthur delivered back-to-back kills to give Southern Utah a 10-9 advantage. UT Arlington responded with a 3-0 run before McArthur stopped the surge with another kill. Southern Utah generated a 4-0 run midway through the set with help from several Maverick attacking errors and a service ace by Amanda Mendoza. The Thunderbirds held the lead the rest of the way and claimed the set 25-21.

Southern Utah carried its momentum into the second set. The Thunderbirds took a 4-2 lead on a kill by Victoria Zibecchi and a service ace by Aleeya Jones. Tobias and McArthur added kills to maintain an 8-4 edge. The Mavericks made a push by scoring three of the next four points, but a kill by Kaitlyn Aleshire halted their progress. Southern Utah closed the set strong with a 5-0 run fueled by a McArthur service ace and a Zibecchi kill to take a 23-19 lead. The Thunderbirds went on to win the set 25-20 and take a 2-0 lead in the match.

UT Arlington shifted the momentum in the third set, jumping out to an 8-3 lead with a burst of offensive pressure. Southern Utah chipped away as McArthur delivered two straight kills to cut the deficit to four. The Mavericks kept pace, and a late run helped them secure the set 25-18.

Southern Utah came out in the fourth set determined to finish the match. McArthur opened the scoring with another kill, and Zibecchi, Aleshire and McArthur combined for 12 kills in the set to keep the offense rolling. A 4-0 run midway through the frame pushed the Thunderbirds ahead 18-14 with two kills from Tobias and a service ace from Mendoza. UT Arlington attempted to rally, but Southern Utah closed out the set 25-19 to take the match 3-1.

Thunderbirds Standouts

• Addyson McArthur delivered an all-around performance, leading the Thunderbirds with 16 kills and three service aces. She also recorded seven digs.
• Asya Akbulut directed the Southern Utah offense with 26 assists.
• Aleeya Jones anchored the defense with a team-high 10 digs.
• Kaitlyn Aleshire was a force at the net, finishing with five blocks.

Coach Danielle Jensen Said

Up Next

Southern Utah will be back at home Saturday at 12:30 p.m. MT to face Tarleton State. It will be Senior Night and the final home match of the season.

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