OGDEN, Utah -- Southern Utah came up short against its conference rival, losing to Weber State 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-16). The Thunderbirds started out the match strong and had several strong runs of play, but ultimately saw the match slip away at the end.
Thunderbirds Leaders
Emilia Zug led all Southern Utah players in scoring, sending home 11 kills and assisting on two blocks for a total of 12 points on the evening. Ryen Smith scored 11 kills of her own and Audrey Atwood added six while hitting .250.
On defense, Emilia Linden led the effort at the net with three total blocks while Kaitlyn Barnes finished the night with a team-best nine digs on the back line. Audrey Atwood and Talea Berry each finished tied for second among all Thunderbirds with seven digs while Berry led the team with 19 assists.
Smith's Hot Start Fuels Early Success
Ryen Smith started the match on fire, scoring five kills on five swings as she pushed the Thunderbirds to a 12-11 lead in the first set. Emilia Zug and Emilia Linden each added three kills of their own in the set and Amanda Mendoza had a service ace as the Thunderbirds kept the score close until a 7-2 run by Weber State closed the set at 25-18.
Execution at the Service Line
Southern Utah finished with seven service aces and six service errors as the Thunderbirds finished a match with fewer than 10 errors at the service line for a third straight match, marking the longest such streak on the season. It was also the second time this season that Southern Utah finished with more aces than errors in the match. In the second set, two aces by Emilia Linden and one by Talea Berry helped spark an 11-3 run that saw the Thunderbirds nearly come back to take the frame after being down 19-10.
Up Next
Southern Utah travels to Pocatello, Idaho for a matchup with the Idaho State Bengals on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 2:00 pm MT.
Follow Us
Stay up to date on the Thunderbirds Volleyball program by following @SUUVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram and liking the Southern Utah Volleyball page on Facebook.
Donate
To help support Thunderbirds athletics, consider donating today! To learn more about how you can support, click here.Â
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.
