The Southern Utah University women’s volleyball team will head to Tucson, Arizona this weekend to participate in the Arizona Wildcat Classic. Their first game of the series will be against North Dakota State on Friday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m.. The next day, SUU will face-off against the University of Arizona at 4 p.m. All games can be streamed on ESPN+.
Southern Utah
Southern Utah looks to bounce back from their loss to Northern Arizona University on Sept. 17, when they lost in three sets. The Thunderbirds are 4-5 overall sitting in fifth place in the Western Athletic Conference.
Andrea Spasojevic has been the spark for SUU this season. She leads the team in kills with 96, putting her at No. 8 in the WAC with 2.94 kills per set. She also leads with nine service aces, places second in digs with 70, and blocks with 17.0 respectively. Other notable offensive players to watch are Victoria Zibecchi and Finley Charapata.
Senior Carissa Richie leads SUU’s defensive front with 38.0 blocks this season. Arianna Rossi has the most digs for Southern Utah with 96, ranking her No. 8 in the WAC.
The Thunderbirds are 0-6 against NDSU, but haven’t met since 2011. They will look to secure the school’s first win on Friday. Saturday will be the first time they face the Arizona Wildcats.
North Dakota
The Bisons are on a three-game winning streak and are hoping to keep that streak alive. . They have an overall record of 3-4 and are sixth in the Summit League.
Ali Hinze leads the attack for NDSU with 96 kills, places second in digs with 72, and blocks with 10.0. Lauren Jansen and Bailey Randall are additional offensive forces for the Bison, holding second and third place in kills.
Arianna Blohm and Ally Barth get the stops at the front, as well as being tied with a team leading 16.0 blocks. Another notable defensive leader is Logan O’Brien, who averages 3.55 digs per set with a total of 103.
Arizona
The Wildcats boast a 9-0 record, having been a powerhouse in the Big 12 Conference. They have decisively won every game this season, never losing more than one set.
Jordan Wilson and Jaelyn Hodge are the kill leaders for the team with 104 and 91 respectively. Additionally, Wilson places top five in every major stat except assists for Arizona. Setter Avery Scoggins leads the Wildcats in assists with 259, followed by Ana Heath with 113.
Arizona has been able to put up impressive defensive stats this season. Kiari Robey leads blocks with 32.0. Wilson places second with 17.0 and holds the second-most digs on the team with 81, trailing the team leader Carlie Cisneros who has 111.
Author: Jacob McQueary
Photographer: Gannon Lovisa
Editor: Jack Paul
