CEDAR CITY, Utah -- Southern Utah women's volleyball travels to Bozeman, Mont., to take on the Montana State Bobcats on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7:00 pm MT. The Thunderbirds will look to keep building on recent offensive momentum as they come into the match averaging more than 12 kills per set in their last three outings, the highest mark of any three-match stretch this season.

The Thunderbirds

Southern Utah's hitters have found a groove this past week and a half, recording 30+ kills in three straight matches, and 40+ kills in each of their last two. After having its first outing with multiple players finishing with double-digit kills against Weber State last Saturday, Southern Utah's offense made it back-to-back matches with multiple players with 10+ kills against Montana and will now look to do it for a third time in as many competitions.

Emilia Zug has played a key role in the recent offensive outpouring for the Thunderbirds, scoring 29 kills over her last three matches while hitting a red-hot .318 in the process. Zug's fellow USU-Eastern transfer Audrey Atwood has also been putting up big numbers for Southern Utah as of late, averaging nearly 8.5 kills per match in conference play as the junior has now become the first Thunderbird to eclipse the century mark in kills for the season with 101. 

Defense continues to play a critical role for the Thunderbirds as Southern Utah has at least five total blocks as a team in seven of its last eight matches, including the last three in a row. The back line has also been coming up big, with 40+ digs in three straight outings for the first time this season. That defense will need to be at its absolute best to slow down a Montana State attack that has scored at least 60 kills in three of its last four matches.

Back-line defense is truly a team effort for the Thunderbirds, as six different players average at least one dig per set this season, led by libero Zorana Stankovska's 2.06. Audrey Atwood has also recently shown her skill as a two-way player, chipping in with 2.36 digs per set over her last three matches. At the net, Southern Utah is still led by Natalie Moore, who, after assisting on two blocks against Montana, now has multiple rejections in five of her last six matches, including the last three in a row.

A Quick Look at the Bobcats

Montana State sits at 11-7 on the season and holds a 4-3 mark in Big Sky play after losing two of its last three matches. The Bobcats are hitting a respectable .259 on offense over their last three outings but have allowed opponents to hit over .250 in two of those matchups.

Series History

Southern Utah and Montana State have clashed 14 times since 2012, with the Bobcats holding a slim lead in the all-time series at 8-6. The last time the Thunderbirds and Bobcats met was Oct. 23, 2021, when Montana State took a 3-0 win in Cedar City (25-7, 25-18, 25-14). Southern Utah last defeated Montana State on March 31, 2021, in a 3-2 victory (25-23, 14-25, 21-25, 25-22, 15-12) on neutral ground in Greeley, Colo. The Thunderbirds have a 3-3 record in matches played in Bozeman.

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