CEDAR CITY – Hosting Cal Baptist on Saturday afternoon, the Southern Utah volleyball team won 3-2 to secure its first conference win.
Set one saw the T-birds jump out to an early 10-3 lead. Cal Baptist would use a 3-0 run to cut the deficit to four (10-6), but an immediate 4-0 spurt by SUU pushed the lead to 14-6. The Lancers were unable to get any closer than seven (16-9), and the Thunderbirds would score five of the final six points to take the set 25-13.
Cal Baptist began set two with three straight points, but the T-birds responded with a 4-0 run to get ahead. The two sides remained close late into the set, with the score tied at 21. Three points in a row put Southern Utah in front 24-21, and moments later, they would secure the set 25-23 and take a 2-0 match lead.
The third set was back and forth, but the Lancers would squeak ahead 20-16 by using a 3-0 run after the T-birds cut the deficit to one (17-16). Four straight SUU points tied the score at 20, and the two teams split points until it was 23 all. CBU would notch the final two points, however, taking the set 25-23 and cutting the Thunderbirds’ match advantage to 2-1.
Set four was close early, as the two sides remained deadlocked through 24 points (12-12). The Lancers would break off a 10-2 run from there, taking a 22-14 lead. SUU would record the next point, but Cal Baptist recorded the final two points to win the set 25-15 and tie the match at two sets apiece.
The Lancers jumped ahead early in the fifth set, taking a 3-2 lead. A 5-1 response from the T-birds put the home team ahead 7-4. CBU would keep it close, cutting the deficit to two late in the set (12-10). The Thunderbirds would tally the next three points, taking the set 15-10 and the match 3-2 to secure their first WAC win.
Victoria Zibecchi led the T-birds in kills in the win with 14, while Asya Akbulut tallied a team-high 23 assists.
With the victory, SUU improves to 2-12 on the season and 1-2 in WAC action.
Up next
SUU (2-12, 1-2 WAC) hits the road for a pair of matches in Texas, first battling Abilene Christian on Thursday, Oct. 9.
First serve is slated for 5 p.m. MT and can be seen on ESPN+.
Photo courtesy of SUU Athletics.
