CEDAR CITY, Utah -- Big Sky volleyball finally returns to Cedar City for the first time since 2021, when Southern Utah hosts Northern Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 3 at noon MT. After playing their last three matches on the road, the Thunderbirds will look to use the energy from their home fans to come out strong and pick up their first win back in the Big Sky.

Speaking on the team's first home match in conference play, Coach Danielle Jensen said:

"We're happy to be home. We've had a lot of travel, so it'll be great to be back home and enjoy our home court and our fans."

The Thunderbirds

Southern Utah's defense comes into Saturday's matchup after tallying nine total blocks in back-to-back matches and recording the most digs across any two-game span this season with 106. The Thunderbirds will need to continue that defensive excellence as they face a Northern Colorado offense that has 50+ kills in four of its last six outings.

Natalie Moore leads the team with 38 total blocks on the year, 10 of them being solo, and has yet to miss a single set for the Thunderbirds, making the Greeley, Colo. native a true defensive anchor that the team will rely on as it takes on her hometown school. Emilia Linden has also been making a name for herself on defense lately, with at least three total blocks in each of her last three matches as the Junior has shot up to third on the team with 24 total blocks, just three behind Maya Banks' 27.

On offense, the Thunderbirds have scored at least 30 kills four times in five matches for the second time this season and have increased their total kills in each of their last two outings. Southern Utah's hitters will look to keep both of those trends going as they take on a defense that currently surrenders more than 12 kills per set.

Audrey Atwood comes into the match having led the team with 18 total kills across her last two matches, including a season-high 10 kills against Utah Tech on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Ryen Smith has established herself as a consistent scoring presence for the Thunderbirds, with at least five kills in six of her last seven matches, including the last five in a row. Celeste Uruena Jensen and Talea Berry will look to keep the offense moving smoothly regardless of who is on the court as the two setters each average over 3.5 assists per set.

Scouting Northern Colorado

The Bears enter Saturday's matchup with a 6-8 record, but have won four of their last six, including wins against Montana and Montana State to open conference play, before losing to Utah Tech in St. George on Thursday. On offense, Northern Colorado hits a very efficient .247 while averaging over 13 kills per set. Defensively, the Bears average just over two blocks per set and have allowed opponents to hit over .230 in three of their last four matches.

Series History

This will be the first meeting between Southern Utah and Northern Colorado since September 2021 when the Bears beat the Thunderbirds 3-1 (25-17, 25-27, 25-20, 25-16) in Greeley, Colo. Southern Utah last beat the Bears in October 2015, winning 3-1 in Cedar City (25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 25-23).

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Tickets

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.