CEDAR CITY, Utah -- Southern Utah women's volleyball will take on Portland State on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 6:00 pm MT as both teams look for their first win of the 2026 Big Sky Conference campaign. The two squads will each be looking for any advantage they can find as they try to build some momentum to carry them through the rest of the season.

The Thunderbirds

Southern Utah has dropped its last two matches after sweeping Chicago State for its first win of the season, including a 3-0 loss to Northern Arizona in the conference opener on Thursday. The defense is looking forward to this match, as it plays a Vikings team that has hit below .200 in four consecutive outings and surrenders 2.1 blocks per set on the year.

Ryen Smith comes into Saturday's matchup after tying for the team lead with five kills on Thursday, making it the fourth time in the last five matches that she has recorded at least five kills. Look for Emilia Linden to be aggressive after sending home five kills against Northern Arizona for her second five-plus kill outing in the last three matches while also recording five total blocks against the Lumberjacks.

Defensively, Natalie Moore and Maya Banks will be looking to capitalize on the Vikings' recent offensive struggles as the duo lead the team with 32 and 25 total blocks, respectively. Anything that the Vikings do manage to sneak through the duo of Moore and Banks will become the responsibility of Zorana Stankovska, who leads the team with 83 digs on the season and has recorded nine-plus in three straight matches, and four of her last five.

Scouting the Vikings

Portland State comes into Saturday's matchup having been swept in four consecutive matches, including a visit from Thunderbirds rival Utah Tech on Thursday in its first conference contest. The Vikings will need to recapture their early season offensive mojo as three of their four wins on the year have come when hitting above .240 as a team.

The number one offensive weapon for Portland State is sophomore outside hitter Alivia Eikenberg, who leads the team with 92 kills on the year, but has struggled recently with fewer than five kills in three of her last four matches. Close behind Eikenberg in kills is middle blocker Willow Watson, whose 83 total kills and 27 total blocks make her a two-way player that Southern Utah will need to pay attention to at all times.

On defense, the Vikings have a trio of players with more than 20 blocks as Brenna Coffman and Reese Biesemeyer team up with Willow Watson to create a very capable front line that Thunderbirds hitters will have to deal with. On the back line, sophomore Jessica Truong leads the team with 139 digs on the season while Eikenberg provides ample backup with 90.

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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.