CEDAR CITY, Utah -- Southern Utah lost to Montana 3-0 (25-17, 29-27, 26-24) on Halloween evening as the Thunderbirds continue to hunt for their first conference win of the season. Despite the sweep, Southern Utah gave Montana all it could handle in the second and third sets, forcing extra points in both.
Thunderbirds Leaders
Audrey Atwood led all Southern Utah players with nine kills for the match with just two attack errors for a hitting percentage of .292. Cala Cooper finished just behind Atwood with a season-high eight kills, and Natalie Moore scored seven times on just 12 attacking attempts.
Emilia Linden played great at the net for Southern Utah, leading all Thunderbirds with four total blocks. On the back line, Celeste Uruena Jensen finished with a team-leading 11 digs while Audrey Atwood and Kaitlyn Barnes each added seven. Uruena Jensen also led all Thunderbirds with 17 assists, with Talea Berry adding 14 helpers of her own.
Emilia Zug became the fourth Southern Utah player to join the 100-kill club for the season by putting away six kills against the Grizzlies while finishing second on the team in total blocks with two assists and a solo rejection.
Offensive Efficiency Nearly Wins Second Set
Southern Utah's offense was at its best in the second set, scoring 17 kills with a hitting percentage above .250 as the Thunderbirds went point for point with the Grizzlies from start to finish. Neither team was able to build a lead bigger than three points at any time in the frame, and with Montana leading 24-22, Ryen Smith sent home a kill from Talea Berry before setting up Emilia Zug for another kill to tie the set at 24 and force extra points. Maya Banks had two kills of her own to tie the set at both 25 and 26 points, before Montana ultimately finished the set at 29-27.
Defensive Struggle in Third Set
The third set was defined by defense for both teams as neither squad hit above .170 in the frame. Southern Utah's defense at the net was particularly strong as the Thunderbirds recorded five of their eight total blocks for the match in the last stanza. It looked like Southern Utah would force a fourth set against the Grizzlies when Cala Cooper sent home her eighth kill of the night to make the score 24-23, but the Grizzlies would score three straight to win 26-24.
Post Match Interview with Coach Jensen
Up Next
Southern Utah will travel to Ogden, Utah for a rivalry matchup with Weber State on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 6:00 pm MT.
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