By Spencer Rodak , Stadium Sportzz
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Traveling to Northern Arizona University to compete in the Lumberjack Classic, the SUU volleyball team picked up its first win of the season against UC San Diego on Friday, 3-1.
The T-birds also faced Texas Tech on Thursday and NAU on Saturday, dropping matches 3-2 and 3-0, respectively.
Read about the matches, beginning with Friday’s first match against Texas Tech.
Friday vs. Texas Tech
SUU’s first match in Flagstaff was a battle against the Big 12 Conference’s Red Raiders, as the match went the full five sets but ended in a narrow T-birds defeat.
Set one saw Texas Tech jump out to an 18-12 lead, but Southern Utah would begin to chip away. Using a 10-4 run, the T-birds would even the score at 22, but the Red Raiders would take the final three points to win the set, 25-22.
Texas Tech would once again take the lead in set two, going up 19-14. The Thunderbirds would record the next three points to cut the deficit to two (19-17), but a 6-1 spurt by the Red Raiders sealed the set win (25-18) and made it a 2-0 match advantage.
It would be Southern Utah that would get in front in set three, leading by five through 33 points, 19-14. Texas Tech would cut the SUU lead down to just one (20-19), but the T-birds were able to stay in front to win the set 25-22 and make it a 2-1 match.
Set four was nearly identical to the third set, as the T-birds held a slim lead throughout before the Red Raiders came charging back. SUU led 20-16 before Texas Tech went on a 3-0 run to cut the lead to one, but the Thunderbirds responded with five points in a row to close out the set 25-19 and force the deciding fifth set.
The fifth set was close, as Texas Tech took a 12-9 lead before back-to-back SUU points made it 12-11. The Red Raiders would answer by recording the final three points, winning the set 15-11 and the match 3-2.
Addyson McArthur led the T-birds in kills in the loss, tallying 16. Asya Akbulut added a team-high 26 assists.
Friday vs. UC San Diego
Facing the Tritons from the Big West Conference, the Thunderbirds would record a 3-1 victory in Friday’s second match.
The first set was filled with runs from each team, as UC San Diego would record the first four points. After falling behind by six (11-5), SUU went on a 5-0 run to make it 11-10. A few moments later, the T-birds would jump in front (14-13), but another 4-0 spurt made it 17-14 Tritons. Southern Utah would make it a two-point set on the next point, but UCSD was able to keep a slim lead the rest of the way for a 25-21 set win and 1-0 advantage.
SUU would run out to an 8-2 lead in the second set, and the lead turned out to be enough to hold off the Tritons to win the set, 25-20.
With the match tied at 1-1, the Thunderbirds would once again storm out to an 8-2 advantage in set three. UC San Diego would cut the deficit down to two late (23-21), but Southern Utah grabbed the final two points to win the set 25-21 and take a 2-1 match lead.
Set four saw the Tritons take a five-point advantage (14-9), but a quick 5-1 SUU run cut the lead to just one (15-14). Minutes later, a 3-0 spurt by the T-birds put them ahead 18-17. Both teams would continue to battle, but Southern Utah would make it 24-22, needing just one point to win. UCSD would record three of the next four points, however, making it a 25 all deadlock. The Thunderbirds would then notch the final two points, winning the set 27-25 and the match 3-1.
Kaitlyn Hoelker led SUU in kills with 13, while Asya Akbulut tallied 28 assists.
The win was Southern Utah’s first of the season and is also the first career win at the school for first-year head coach Danielle Jensen.
Saturday at Northern Arizona
Facing the host school on Saturday, the Thunderbirds were no match for the Lumberjacks as they fell in straight sets (3-0).
NAU would cruise to a 25-15 set one win, before closing out the T-birds late for a 25-20 win in set two. SUU would hang around in the third set, but the Lumberjacks kept their distance to secure a 25-19 set win and 3-0 match victory.
Up next
Southern Utah (1-8) travels to Las Vegas to battle UC Riverside and UNLV in the Dig in the Desert.
The T-birds will first face the Highlanders on Friday, Sept. 19, at 4 p.m. MT before taking on the tournament host Rebels on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m. MT.
Both games will be streamed on the UNLV Athletics YouTube channel.