CEDAR CITY, UTAH -- No matter how good your defense is, if you want to win matches, you've got to be able to put points up on the board, and the hitters on Southern Utah's volleyball team are looking poised to do just that in the coming season.

With a standout returning player, two transfers who have played under head coach Danielle Jensen before, and another two transfers from Division I programs, this unit has both the talent and the depth to be an impressive force for the Thunderbirds as they rejoin the Big Sky Conference in 2026.

"I'm really excited that we have depth," Coach Jensen said when asked about her hitters. "We have different options ... they all do something a little bit different."

Kaitlyn Hoelker returns to SUU after an impressive freshman campaign in which she earned WAC All-Freshman team honors after playing in all 24 matches for the Thunderbirds and

racking up 162 kills, good for second most among all SUU players. Coach Jensen is looking forward to a big season from Hoelker, stating, "Kaity has been working extremely hard in the off-season to prepare her for her sophomore year. She is hungry to get back out on the court and compete this season."

The Thunderbirds will look to benefit from the experience of Cala Cooper and Maya Banks, who transferred from Utah State and UNLV, respectively. In addition, 4 JUCO transfers are joining the team as hitters this year. Outside hitters Audrey Atwood and Emilia Zug both joined the Thunderbirds from Utah State University-Eastern, where they played under Danielle Jensen during the 2024-25 school year. They are joined by opposite hitter counterparts Ryen Smith from Salt Lake Community College and Emilia Linden from Tacoma Community College.

With so much talent and experience in one position group, there will be a battle for playing time. "It's going to be whoever's going to earn that spot in a given week," Coach Jensen said when discussing playing time for her hitters, "With each athlete bringing a different depth of skill and knowledge to the team, we are excited to see how they will compete and shape the offense for our program." That versatility will be sure to serve the Thunderbirds well as the offense looks to keep opposing defenses off balance all season long.

Hitters: Ryen Smith - 5'11, Jr., Audrey Atwood - 6'0, Jr., Cala Cooper - 6'1, Jr., Maya Banks - 6'1, So., Kaitlyn Hoelker - 5'11, So., Emilia Linden - 6'0, Jr., Emilia Zug - 5'11, Jr.

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