MOSCOW, Idaho - Audrey Atwood recorded 12 kills and 10 digs, while Natalie Moore hit .417 with seven kills and five blocks as Southern Utah volleyball fell to Idaho, 3-1 (25-16, 25-17, 22-25, 25-17), Saturday, Oct. 24, at Memorial Gym.
The Thunderbirds extended the Big Sky match with a third-set victory and matched Idaho with 40 kills. Kaitlyn Barnes added four of Southern Utah's six service aces.
Atwood Contributes on Both Sides of the Net
Atwood led Southern Utah in kills and digs to finish with a double-double, adding four block assists and an assist. She opened the match with five first-set kills and supplied three more during the Thunderbirds' third-set victory.
Moore paired efficient offense with a team-leading five block assists. She committed just two attack errors on 12 swings, finishing with seven kills while contributing to five of SUU's seven team blocks.
Emilia Zug added seven kills and four digs. Maya Banks supplied six kills on 14 attempts for a .214 hitting percentage, along with two digs and an assist.
Thunderbirds Respond in the Third
Southern Utah answered a two-set deficit by building an early 7-3 advantage in the third before pulling away midway through the frame.
With the score tied at 12, Celeste Uruena Jensen put down a kill to begin a four-point run. Atwood followed with a kill, Molly Mitchell delivered an ace, and an Idaho attack error gave SUU a 16-12 lead.
The Thunderbirds then won four of the next five points, including two Atwood kills and another from Moore, to stretch the advantage to 20-13.
Idaho trimmed the margin to 22-21, but Southern Utah answered with consecutive kills from Ryen Smith and Banks. A Vandals service error secured the 25-22 set victory.
Barnes Leads From the Service Line
Barnes finished with four aces and six digs, recording an ace in both the second and third sets before adding two during a late fourth-set run.
Mitchell contributed an ace, two kills and two block assists. Talea Berry added Southern Utah's remaining ace while leading the team with 18 assists.
Uruena Jensen finished with 15 assists, eight digs and two kills. Together, Berry and Uruena Jensen accounted for 33 of the Thunderbirds' 36 assists.
Southern Utah finished the match with 41 digs and seven team blocks.
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