LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Southern Utah volleyball (1-9) dropped its second match of the season against UC Riverside (4-6) on Friday night, falling in four sets. The Thunderbirds had stretches of momentum, highlighted by strong showings by Kaitlyn Aleshire, Addyson McArthur, and Amaya Tobias. Still, the Highlanders' late rallies proved to be the difference in the match as SUU came up short in its bid to even up the season series.

Game Recap

UC Riverside took control of the opening set behind early serving pressure, but Southern Utah responded with strong swings from Kaitlyn Aleshire and Addyson McArthur to stay close. The Thunderbirds battled through long rallies, using balanced offense and a pair of timely kills from Hoelker to push the Highlanders late. Despite the effort, UC Riverside maintained its edge down the stretch and secured the first frame.

Southern Utah bounced back in set two with one of its most consistent stretches of the night. McArthur and Hoelker continued to find success at the net, while Amaya Tobias gave the Thunderbirds a spark with her attacking. Aleshire's presence on both the front row and service line kept the Highlanders off balance, and SUU closed the set strong to even the match at one apiece.

In a pivotal third set, the Thunderbirds jumped out to an early lead with energy from Aleshire and Tobias, but UC Riverside countered with a series of runs that shifted momentum. SUU leaned on McArthur and Hoelker to keep the score tight, trading points late into the set. Still, a late surge by the Highlanders, capped by strong net defense, allowed UC Riverside to claim the third frame and regain the lead.

Southern Utah came out fast in the fourth, racing to a 4–0 advantage behind McArthur's serve and early kills from Aleshire and Hoelker. The Thunderbirds built their lead to 20–15 after a block from Hughes and Tobias, looking poised to force a deciding fifth set. UC Riverside, however, rallied with a late push, stringing together points off kills and timely blocks to overtake SUU. Despite the Thunderbirds trading points down the stretch, the Highlanders closed the frame 25–23, sealing the match in four sets.

Thunderbirds Standouts

• Kaitlyn Aleshire – Stuffed the stat sheet with 11 kills on a .364 hitting percentage while also adding a team-high eight total blocks, finishing with 15 points.
   
• Victoria Zibecchi – Matched the team lead with 11 kills, contributed five total blocks, and delivered a balanced two-way performance for 14 points.
   
• Kaitlyn Hoelker – Powered down 11 kills at a .357 clip, added seven digs and three block assists, totaling 12.5 points on the night.
   
• Addyson McArthur – Posted nine kills, chipped in defensively with nine digs and two blocks, while also adding a service ace and two assists for 11 points.

Coach Jensen Said

"It's never easy coming up short, especially against a team that's had our number twice now. But we battled and had a chance every set, and that's something we can build on."

Up Next

The Thunderbirds will play against the host, UNLV, tomorrow at 2 PM MT.

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