MISSOULA, Mont. — Emilia Zug recorded 11 kills and Ryen Smith added 10 as Southern Utah volleyball fell 3-1 to Montana on Thursday, October 15, at Dahlberg Arena. The Thunderbirds claimed the second set in the four-set match, finishing with scores of (25-19, 22-25, 25-14, 25-17).
Zug Leads Efficient Offensive Effort
Zug led Southern Utah with a .321 hitting percentage, putting away 11 kills with just two errors on 28 attempts. She also contributed two block assists.
Smith finished with 10 kills, five digs, a service ace and a block assist. Audrey Atwood added nine kills while hitting .259, committing just two attacking errors on 27 swings.
Together, Zug, Smith and Atwood accounted for 30 of Southern Utah's 41 kills.
Thunderbirds Take the Second Set
Southern Utah produced its strongest offensive set in the second, recording 13 kills and hitting .222 to earn a 25-22 win and even the match at one set apiece.
The Thunderbirds held Montana to a .125 hitting percentage in that frame, with the Grizzlies recording 12 kills and seven attacking errors.
SUU also hit .206 in the fourth set, finishing with 10 kills and only three errors on 34 attempts.
Atwood Anchors the Defense
Atwood led Southern Utah with 10 digs, finishing one kill shy of a double-double. Talea Berry contributed nine digs and a team-leading 20 assists, while Kaitlyn Barnes and Zorana Stankovska each collected seven digs.
Amanda Mendoza led the Thunderbirds at the service line with two aces. Atwood, Smith, Barnes and Karla Kosutic added one apiece as SUU finished with six.
At the net, Emilia Linden recorded a solo block and a block assist. Natalie Moore and Zug each supplied two block assists, helping Southern Utah match Montana with five total team blocks.
Next Up
The Thunderbirds continue their road trip at Montana State on Saturday, October 17. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT in Bozeman.
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Single-game and season tickets for the upcoming Southern Utah Volleyball season are now available. For more information and to purchase tickets for SUU Volleyball, visit tbirdtickets.com.
