CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University volleyball team will travel to the west coast to play California Baptist University on Thursday. This will be the Thunderbirds first conference game, and their inaugural game as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The game will be available for viewing on ESPN+, and live stats will be provided.

Game Info

Southern Utah vs California Baptist University

Date: September 22, 2022

Game Time: 8:00 p.m. MT

Location: Riverside, California 

Venue: Van Dyne Gym

Live Stream | Live Stats

Preview

Preseason polls predicted California Baptist to finish sixth overall in a competitive Western Athletic Conference. Now, as conference play officially begins, the Lancers will aim to prove why they were projected to finish in the top half of the WAC. 

California Baptist finished non-conference play with a 5-6 record. Despite having a losing record, CBU comes into this game with momentum on their side, as they have won three of their last four games.

CBU is led by Christine Graf, whose 3.2 kills per set are pivotal for the Lancer's offense. Leah Pease helps orchestrate the attack, dishing out 5.6 assists a set for CBU. Defensively, Chandler Gormon helps protect the Lancers side of the net by averaging one block per set (45 overall on the season).

Last Time Out

The Thunderbirds are coming off a thrilling victory against Idaho State, which saw them come from behind to defeat the Bengals in five sets.

Makenzie Templeton showcased her offensive prowess last game. Each of her 17 kills were crucial to the T-Birds victory. Templeton continues to be the Thunderbirds leading scorer with 2.53 points per set (78 kills). 

Many T-Birds showed out against Idaho State. Raegen Beeson and Andreanna McKee continued their spectacular season by chipping in 10 kills each, both proving to be key factors in the Thunderbirds win. On the defensive side of the court, Carissa Richie recorded a season high six blocks.

Southern Utah will look to carry this momentum into their matchup against the Lancers on Thursday.

Follow Us

Stay up to date on the Thunderbird Volleyball program by following @SUUVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram and liking the Southern Utah Volleyball page on Facebook.