Competing in their final tournament before conference play begins, the Southern Utah University women’s volleyball team faced off in Dig in the Desert in Las Vegas. SUU first went up against the University of California, Riverside, followed by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Southern Utah lost both matches by a score of 1-3, dropping their season record to 1-10 on the year.
Game one
The T-Birds got off to a great start in set one, holding an early 12-7 lead and never looked back. Southern Utah continued to hold a steady lead and capitalized on a Sophia Ewalefo attack error. The Thunderbirds would get the 25-23 win.
Set two was an incredible back-and-forth battle, with neither team gaining a big advantage early. With the score tied up at 15, SUU went on a quick 5-0 run, giving them a 20-15 lead.
UC Riverside would bounce back, tying things at 25. Two plays later, being down one, the Highlanders would score three straight to take set two, 27-25.
Set three was much like the previous one with both teams keeping it close. With all things tied up at 22, UC Riverside would score three of the next four points, winning 25-23.
With their backs against the wall, SUU came out firing in set four. The T-Birds held a 21-16 lead and were looking to continue this match. The Highlanders battled though, finishing on a 10-2 run and winning the match 3-1.
Game two
SUU faced off against UNLV and it was all Rebels in the first set. UNLV at one point held a 20-6 lead and would go on to win 25-10.
Despite the set one blowout, it was much different the second time around. SUU found an early 14-8 lead and looked to hold onto it. Up 21-16, the Rebels would go on a 5-0 run to tie it up at 21.
For the rest of the set, both teams traded punches with neither team gaining an advantage. UNLV finally broke through at the end and won the set 32-30.
SUU responded well in set four, dominating for most of the game. At one point Southern Utah had a nine-point lead and would go on to win 25-18.
Set four was all Rebels. UNLV bounced back from an early 6-0 deficit and would go on to win the set 25-21 and win the match 3-1.
What’s next?
SUU opens Western Athletic Conference play when they host Utah Tech University on Thursday, Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the America First Event Center. This game can also be streamed on ESPN+.
Author: Jack Paul
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Heather Turner
