FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Southern Utah dropped its conference opener on Thursday night against Northern Arizona 3-0 (25-15, 25-12, 25-16) as both teams kicked off their 2026 Big Sky slates with a renewed rivalry. Despite the loss, the Thunderbirds showed continued signs of defensive improvement that they will look to carry through the rest of the season.
Match Summary
The Thunderbirds started strong, using a pair of Emilia Linden kills as well as back-to-back blocks to keep the score close, 13-10 in the first set. Northern Arizona's Hanah Stoddard then scored five of the next six points, and while Southern Utah fought back with kills by Natalie Moore and Ryen Smith, the Lumberjacks pulled away to take set one 25-15.
The second set started with the Lumberjacks on a 6-1 run until two Natalie Moore kills sparked a 6-1 Thunderbirds run, leading to a 7-7 score. Northern Arizona then scored the next five points before a Lumberjack error, and a block by Emilia Linden and Emilia Zug brought the score within three points again at 12-9. From there, the Lumberjacks would go on another run, this time outscoring the Thunderbirds 11-1 before closing the frame with a 25-12 win.
Southern Utah refused to go quietly in the third set, with five different players recording kills and Emilia Linden recording three total blocks across five points as the team battled back from an early 5-1 deficit to get back within two points at 12-10. Even after going down 22-13, Southern Utah kept fighting, taking three of the next four points before ultimately falling short at 25-16.
Stats Review
The defense continued to show signs of improvement despite the loss, with its second straight match totaling six blocks in addition to a third straight match with over 30 digs for the second time this season. It was also a much-improved night for the Thunderbirds from the service line, as the team committed only one service error in their first match, down from fewer than five. On offense, Southern Utah was starting to look like it was finding an offensive rhythm as the team's hitting percentage jumped from below .100 in the first two sets to .161 for the final frame. Look for the Thunderbirds to take what they learned in that third set and use it moving forward.
Emilia Linden led the team in total scoring as the Junior sent home five kills on .500 hitting while also recording two solo and three assisted blocks for 8.5 points on the night. Natalie Moore and Ryen Smith also recorded five kills each after leading the team in total kills last week with 15 and 17, respectively. Zorana Stankovska added nine digs to her team, leading the season with 83 as she has now recorded at least nine digs in four of her last five matches.
Looking Ahead
With their first match back in the Big Sky under their belt, the Thunderbirds will now travel to Oregon to take on the Portland State Vikings on Saturday at 6:00 pm MT.
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