Riverside, Calif. — Southern Utah volleyball (2-19, 1-9 WAC) fell to California Baptist (7-15, 3-7) in straight sets Thursday night. Despite matching the Lancers in service aces, the Thunderbirds were unable to maintain momentum and dropped the match in three sets.
Match Recap
The first set saw both teams trading points early. Addyson McArthur opened the scoring for the Thunderbirds with a kill, while Ezgi Kucuk and Aleeya Jones each added one of their own. California Baptist responded with a 6-0 run to take a 13-7 lead. Southern Utah answered with a 4-0 run behind kills from Kucuk and McArthur and a service ace from Asya Akbulut. Both teams stayed within striking distance, and a kill by Kaitlyn Hoelker, followed by an ace from Amanda Mendoza, brought the Thunderbirds within one at 15-14. Kills from Victoria Zibecchi and Hoelker tied the set at 16, but the Lancers closed on a 9-3 run to take the opener 25-19.
Southern Utah struggled to find rhythm early in the second set, falling behind 5-1. Three attacking errors by the Lancers helped the Thunderbirds narrow the gap, and a Zibecchi kill brought the score to 6-5. California Baptist regained control, however, building a 19-8 advantage. Despite a late push from the Thunderbirds, the deficit proved too much as they dropped the set 25-17.
Looking to shift momentum, Southern Utah came out strong in the third set. Jones recorded an early ace, and Swayzee Mason and Kucuk each added kills to help the Thunderbirds take an 8-4 lead. The Lancers responded with a 7-0 run to regain control. Southern Utah countered with a 6-1 surge, highlighted by standout play from Amay Tobias, who notched a block and two kills to give the Thunderbirds a 14-12 edge. California Baptist settled in down the stretch, piecing together several runs late. A Tobias kill brought the Thunderbirds within one, but the Lancers closed strong, taking five of the final seven points to clinch the match.
Thunderbirds Standouts
Coach Danielle Jensen Said
"We had some good stretches, but consistency was the difference. We'll use this as motivation heading into our next match."
Up Next
Southern Utah will be back at home to take on UT Arlington on Thursday, November 13, at 6:30 PM MT in the America First Event Center.
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