CEDAR CITY, Utah - Audrey Atwood delivered 12 kills, four service aces and nine digs as Southern Utah volleyball fell to Eastern Washington, 3-1 (20-25, 26-24, 25-16, 25-9), Thursday, Oct. 22, at the America First Event Center.
The Thunderbirds captured the opening set and pushed the second to extra points, finishing with nine aces and three players with at least nine kills in the Big Sky contest.
Atwood Leads a Balanced Attack
Atwood paced Southern Utah with 16 points, pairing her team-leading 12 kills with four aces. Her serving helped establish the Thunderbirds early in the second set, when she recorded three consecutive aces to build a 4-0 advantage.
Ryen Smith and Emilia Zug contributed nine kills apiece. Smith also supplied five digs, two aces and a solo block, while Emilia Linden hit .250 with five kills on 12 attempts, adding three digs and a solo block. Natalie Moore finished with three kills and a solo block.
Berry Records a Double-Double
Talea Berry directed the offense with 19 assists and added 10 digs for a double-double. She also registered an ace, helping Southern Utah race to a 6-0 lead to begin the match.
Celeste Uruena Jensen contributed 10 assists and four digs, giving the Thunderbirds two setters with double-digit assists.
Zorana Stankovska anchored the back row with a team-high 13 digs and added two assists and an ace. Atwood's nine digs complemented Berry's double-digit effort as Southern Utah collected 52 digs.
Strong Finish Secures Opening Set
Southern Utah answered a 19-16 deficit in the first set by winning nine of the final 10 points to claim a 25-20 victory.
Smith played a central role in the closing stretch, recording a kill to put SUU ahead 21-20 before delivering consecutive aces for a 24-20 advantage. Linden finished the set with a solo block.
The Thunderbirds carried that energy into the second, opening a 5-0 lead and later using a seven-point run to move ahead 20-13. After Eastern Washington pulled in front late, Atwood's kill erased a set point and tied the score at 24 before the Eagles claimed the next two points.
Eastern Washington took the final two sets to finish the match. Southern Utah ended the night with a 9-0 advantage in service aces, with Smith contributing two and Berry, Stankovska and Kaitlyn Barnes adding one apiece.
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